


Little Girl Lost

by MugenYumeDansu



Series: Little Girls Lost [1]
Category: Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Biting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood Magic, F/M, Gods and Demigods, Gore, Half-Vampires, Humans caught in the crossfire, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Lots of Lust, Magic, Masturbation, Monsters, Mystery, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Oral Sex, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Past Abuse, Referenced Drug Use, Rough Sex, Slow Build, Suspense, Time Skips, Vampires, Violence, Wall Sex, Werewolves, Witches, dark themes, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-03-30 08:50:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 49,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13948068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MugenYumeDansu/pseuds/MugenYumeDansu
Summary: In 1987 David and his brothers were almost wiped out by Michael Emerson and his friends.Only three of the four made it out still undead. Their maker and one of their brothers hadn't been so lucky. David and his remaining family go to ground to heal their grievous wounds.Nearly thirty years after, they return, very different from the carefree adrenaline seekers they once were.And what, or rather who they find upon their homecoming leaves the three vampires heads spinning.David and his brothers become entangled in the life of a mysterious and very familiar looking young woman. The things hidden in her past will shock all four of them, and shake their foundations to the core.***Revised.***





	1. Prologue: Grounded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Cry Little Sister - Gerard Mcmann  
> Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson - Helter Skelter

**1987, Santa Carla, California**

 

David had just finished dragging the damaged corpses of his brothers back to the lair.

Dwayne and Paul would pull through, with some luck and a lot of blood.

Marko wasn't so lucky. He was gone now. A fact that enraged David to no end.

But he couldn't dwell on that now. Instead he set to work, dragging his brothers into the deepest pit of the sunken hotel, a place that neither Star or Laddie even knew about.

It was a medium sized cavern, not originally part of the hotel itself. It was a pocket of earth created by the quake that sank the resort, time, and the ocean eroding away the sandstone to create an enclosed space.

It was here that David and Dwayne had gone to ground when injured. And the place where Marko and Paul had woken up after they had fully turned. They had called it their Sanctum. And it was here that David would bury them, deep in the womb of the Earth after bathing them in blood, and then do the same for himself, until they could fully heal from the injuries they had sustained.

It was difficult, David himself being seriously injured. But he managed to hypnotise a couple of unsuspecting humans into bringing themselves to him, and promptly slaughtering them like sheep and filling the pits his brothers occupied with their blood, and the empty one he had dug for himself before closing the Earth over Dwayne and Paul.

Shortly after he sunk into his own grave and dug the earth over himself, burrowing deep until he felt the pull of slumber calling him. He sank into the sanguine darkness that called him, knowing that when he awoke he would be remade anew, once more.

***

The light of the moon shone down on the entrance to the cave that now held three slumbering vampires and the corpse of a fourth, buried beside his brothers as they slept.

The middle aged woman sat on the side of the cliff, watching and waiting. A figure wrapped in a dark gray hooded cloak approached her from the direction of the lighthouse.

"Ah, just in time. The tide's coming in. Its beautiful, yes?" The woman asked. The figure nodded and reached up to throw back the hood.

A young girl, no older than fourteen stood there. There were strange markings on her face and arms, revealed only in the moonlight. The filling pattern resembled that of a jaguar, and her eyes glowed an eerie green.

"It is time. The Master has been disposed of. There was nothing left but scattered ashes. Are you prepared for your own task?" The girl asked the older woman. The woman nodded gravely, her salt-and-pepper hair, that had once been rich and black, swayed in the ocean breeze.

"I am. He paid his price long ago. I need only keep my end of the bargain now." She brushed the hair from her face and turned back to the sea. There was a fog rolling in. This was good. It would conceal her movement, and mask her from prying eyes.

"Good. Then I will leave you to it, Crone. I shall see you when the time comes. Until then be safe." With that the girl inclined her head and lofted her hood once more. She turned to go. When the older woman turned back the other had already vanished into the darkness. The crone shook her head and headed for the cave.

Once inside she made her way to the place where three shallow heartbeats pulsed inside the earth. She came to a break in the tunnel that no human could cross. The woman merely lifted her long skirts and stepped off the edge of the stone. She did not fall, instead drifted slowly upward to her destination.

She stepped down into the Sanctum and withdrew a small blade from the folds of her skirts. She closed her eyes and held her hand out, palm up. She drew the blade of the knife across her palm, drawing a deep slice. Blood welled to the surface and cascaded from her hand onto the floor below. The central grave received it's share of her blood, and she moved to the two adjacent graves, and bled on those as well.

After a time she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the wound tightly. 

Stepped over to the fourth grave, the one which held no heartbeat, sluggish or otherwise. She reached down into the ground, her fingers sinking deep into the freshly turned soil. She reached the correct depth and grasped hold of what was there, and pulled.

Later that night, once the ground which had been disturbed had been made to look as if it was untouched, and the thing she had taken was safe where it was meant to be, the woman, now safe in her own home some ten miles from the cave, lay down to take her rest for the night.


	2. Transit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> (Go To) California - Rob Zombie

**2017, Santa Carla, California**

 

The doors to the old Greyhound bus creaked open, spewing out a crowd of overtired, unwashed passengers into the bright southern California sun. Veronica La'Chase, or Ronnie, as she preferred to be called, stepped off the last step, blinking slowly and hitching her beat up skull print backpack higher on her shoulder. She shuffled her way over to the baggage claim, grabbing her large duffel bag and slinging the strap over her shoulder before heading into the building.

Ronnie had no expectations of the place she had arrived. She didn't need any. Every place she had been for the last five years were all the same. Crappy, washed out faces with faded names, weary people going about their daily lives without a single thought for anyone else.

Same song and dance, just different faces.

Ronnie was just tired of it all. Call her jaded but in her 19 years of life, she had been through so much crap, and no one ever changed. They all lied, cheated, killed, all for number one. The world was on a downhill slide, straight to hell, as far as the green eyed teenage girl was concerned. So why not send it off with a bang? 

Ronnie had seen and done some things that she wasn't proud of. Probably partied a little too hard, drank a little too much, and did a few too many drugs in her lifetime, just trying to chase that little bit of paradise she never seemed to be able to catch.

And and this was where it had led her. Yet another chance at a new life, only this time she was on her own, instead of a ward of the state, and back in the town she had been born in. One she didn't remember.

She shook her head, dropping down onto one of the benches by the door of the bus station. She wasn't waiting for anything. She just didn't feel like doing much of anything just yet. She was jet lagged, and hungry. And broke. She'd spent the last of her cash on a burger two stops before, and now she had nothing left except a pocket full of nickels and pennies and no where to go.

Life was shit, but what can you do? She'd been living on the street for over a year already. She knew she could go find a spot somewhere and panhandle enough cash from the tourists she saw milling about to get her a shitty motel for the night and maybe a cheap meal. But she had a little time. 

She pulled her crappy 'smart' phone out of her pocket and checked the time. It was just after 10 AM, so yeah, she had all day. And this place had a boardwalk that would likely be bustling with people in an hour or two. So all Ronnie had to do was sit and wait, and then find herself a good spot and commence with the begging. If there was one thing her too young looking face was good for, it was garnering sympathy from passing strangers.

She leaned her head back against the bench and drifted a bit.

***

Ronnie dropped her duffle on the worn looking motel bed and shuffled her beat up converse off of her feet. She dug through her stuff, gathering up her shower essentials and started stripping out of her faded Led Zeppelin tee shirt, and her sweaty jeans. 

In the tiny bathroom she stripped her underclothes off and stepped into the tub. Twisting the knobs she waited, finger under the stream testing the temperature, other hand adjusting until it was the right temp, almost scalding. She pulled the curtain closed and pushed the lever switching from faucet to shower head and stood under the spray.

She sighed, letting the hot water soak through her almost waist length black hair before turning her back to the spray and grabbing her soap.

She scrubbed slowly, ridding herself of the grime of travel, and the weeks of sleeping rough before that.

Ronnie was a clean person by nature, and it felt absolutely amazing to scrub away the last few weeks in a wash of lavender scented lather. 

She took the time to finally relax a little bit, too. She had been so tense, always alert, constantly watching everyone around her. It had saved her more than a little bit of hassle on multiple occasions.

And she had made out better than she'd expected at the boardwalk today. People, mostly tourists, but also a few locals, mostly women, or families with kids that were looking to make an impression, to be seen doing the 'charitable' thing, had dropped more than a little bit of cash in her hand. Enough for a motel room for a week, some cheap food, and she still had close to a hundred bucks left.

She was feeling pretty good about her luck today, and was planning on staking out the same spot tomorrow, to see how much she could bring in. Hopefully enough to buy more than ramen noodles and soda.

She shampooed her hair twice, to get all the dirt and dead skin out that she could, and conditioned it thoroughly before grabbing a fresh razor and shaving away the stubble under her arms, on her legs, and after a moment of debate, her sex. It wasn't something she often did, but it made her feel cleaner, and it helped with hygiene.

She made sure to rinse all the hair and soap off before cutting the water and stepping out of the shower. She wrapped a towel from the tiny rack around her torso and another around her hair, drying off as best she could.

When she stepped out of the steamy bathroom to grab her night clothes, a pair of panties and a massive ratty tee-shirt that had once belonged to one of her foster father's, and started getting dressed.

She had heard that the boardwalk was busier at night, and everything was supposed to be all lit up. Ronnie wanted to see it, to experience the nightlife this place had to offer. She'd seen more than a few bars and at least two nightclubs, most closed for business until evening, but tonight was not that night.

In fact, it probably wouldn't happen at all this week. Ronnie was exhausted from being on a bus for over sixteen hours, and on top of that she needed to make some money, enough to float by for a little while, until she could wrangle a job and a place to stay.

She had snagged a couple of papers to start going through the ads and see what she could find. But that was tomorrow's work. Tonight she just wanted to get some sleep, having splurged some of her take for the day on a greasy hamburger from one of the vendors, a guy in his late twenties, that had seen her panhandling and only charged her half price. He seemed pretty nice, and she had stood there talking to him during the lull in business right after the lunch rush.

His name was Eric, and he seemed pretty decent. He had extended the offer of an occasional discount, at least until she got on her feet. He had also flirted with her lightly, but Ronnie had let him know she wasn't ready for any kind of relationship, especially seeing as she had literally just breezed into town.

He had laughed and told her that he admired women with self respect, and that he liked her honesty. Ronnie had smiled at him and waved goodbye when she left to find the motel he had suggested. And he had been right when he said it wasn't the cheapest, but it was cleaner than most, and the lady who managed it was pretty nice.

She had taken one look at Ronnie, clicked her tongue and handed over a cardkey to one of the rooms in the inner courtyard, close to the laundry room and the ice machine.

And here Ronnie was, getting herself tucked into a warm, clean, safe bed, eyelids already drooping. Both the dead bolt, and the chain lock were locked and the young woman was as safe as she could be, for the night.

She let herself drop off into sleep, an alarm set on her phone for the next morning.

***

Three days. Three days in Santa Carla and she was rolling in the dough. Well, not quite, but she had panhandled over a thousand dollars in three days. Never in her life had things been this good. She had food, a place to sleep, and she was actually comfortable here. She'd been warned by more than one person to be careful, as it seemed there was a high rate of missing persons in this area. 

She didn't scare easy though. And she was a fighter. She knew what it was like on the streets. If you didn't end up a whore, so far into drugs you couldn't get back out again, in jail, or dead, you were a success story.

She had learned early to fight for everything she had. Going from foster home to foster home had taught her a lot.

She wasn't one of those who were beaten or raped by their caregivers. More like she ended up with people who were stretched too thin and only took her in for the money.

Eventually, after five families she didn't fit in, and caseworker after caseworker, she had aged out of the system, and onto the street.

It wasn't anybody's fault. Just a twist of circumstance that left her unable to beat the odds. Now she was in a position of power. Power over her own life.

She was definitely going to keep up this trend and drag herself out of this rut. Even if it killed her.

Trudging into her hotel room, fast food bag in hand, she dropped her backpack, a blue thing with black skulls printed across the canvas, on the bed and went to drag her laptop out of her duffel.

She turned it on, logged in once it had loaded, and put on some music, at a decent volume. She unwrapped her burger and chowed down to the sounds of Five Finger Death Punch. Her favorite by them, Tragic Truth filled the room.

She set up her playlist for the night and started going through her clothes. All her dirty things went into a mesh laundry bag she'd bought. All her clean stuff got put back in the duffle. She tucked her money away and gathered up her clothes, and her skull bag and headed for the laundry room.

After getting quarters and loading the machines, Ronnie pulled her mp3 player out and put her headphones in, ignoring the world.

Generally, her wallet, mp3 player, phone and charger. Hair brush and a couple scrunchies, a stick of black eyeliner, and a little box she went nowhere without. In the box were various metal odds and ends, tiny beads, bits of wire, a tube of metal glue, and a three piece set of jewelry plyers, along with several pieces of jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, chains of all kinds, in various states of repair. 

This was her hobby. She made her own jewelry. Never to sell or anything, just things she liked and wore constantly. She was in the middle of making a choker out of a strip of leather, three different colored lengths of chain, several tiny jingle bells, and some bright red tear drop accents.

She wanted them to look like drops of blood hanging from the chains. And it was turning out perfect. She was almost finished.

She sat and worked, humming along with her music, occasionally checking her clothes.

Eventually she had finished washing everything and it had just finished its cycle in the dryer. Ronnie put up her jewelry stuff and slid the case back into her bag. She went and dragged everything out of the dryer and started folding it, stacking it neatly in the laundry bag.

She headed back to her room after that, where she put her clothes away in her duffle and plopped down on the bed to watch movies on her computer. She eventually fell asleep like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have changed a few things around in the story, which is why the AU - Canon Divergence tag is applied here.
> 
> I have also messed with some of the characters physical traits, such as height, and preferred hairstyle and clothes. You know, evolve with the times and all that.
> 
> So while the actors who play the Boys are not a one over six foot, though pretty tall anyway, in my headcanon they are all either well over, or pretty damn close. And my main girl here is quite a bit shorter than all of them. Meh, it's a size kink I guess.
> 
> So here it is:
> 
> David - 5'11"  
> Dwayne - 6'2"  
> Paul - 6'3"  
> OC (Ronnie) - 5'7"  
> OC (Gemma) - 5'4"  
> OC (Lea) - 5'6"  
> OC (Maya) - 5'3"
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're liking it so far, because I'm really enjoying writing it!  
> And never fear, the steamy romance isn't too far off. Enjoy!


	3. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Back on Earth - Ozzy  
> Dracula - Rob Zombie

**2007, Santa Carla, California**

David woke slowly, his conciousness bleeding back to awareness over time. He could hear everything. The bugs digging in the dirt around him, the vibrations of the Earth far far above, the ocean outside their lair.

And the heartbeat of the homeless drifters that had moved into the cave.

And he could hear something else as well. The stirrings of his brothers minds slowly coming awake.

Yes, both of them. Relief flooded him, slowly, fuzzy and still far away through the hazy grogginess that clouded David's mind.

He became aware of his fear that one or both of them would have failed to reawaken, especially seeing the state they'd been in, but they had both pulled through.

Well, it was extremely hard to kill a vampire. The only things David knew that would kill them for sure was sunlight, fire, and a seperation of the heart from the brain, I. E. beheading, or an accurate stake through the heart that destroyed that link. David's foggy thoughts circled around. 

If it hadn't been for what Michael and those two amateurs had done, Marko wouldn't have died at all. But they had staked him through the heart, he died screaming in agony while his brothers could do nothing to help him.

And then they had confronted Max after seriously wounding David, Dwayne and Paul. And someone had gotten a lucky shot and beheaded the old creep. Not that David or his boys were going to complain. Max had been a controlling, manipulative bastard from the start, and David was _elated_ to see the end of his sire.

Which now made David the leader of their little coven in truth. So it fell to him to figure out exactly what he and his brothers were going to do in the aftermath of this clusterfuck.

It occurred to the blonde to do a little reconnaissance, see what had become of the Emerson's and their pet slayers. And after that he and his two remaining brothers would figure out where to go from here.

David drifted back to sleep, but not nearly as deep as before, other vague plans beginning to form in his head, almost like dreams. And the next time he woke it was fully aware and ready to reemerge from his earthen bed.

He could hear the whispers of Dwayne, and Paul not quite fully awake, but getting closer by the minute.

David dug himself halfway out of his shallow grave and laid there, naked as the day he was born, panting. After a moment of collecting himself he dragged himself the rest of the way out of his grave and climbed his way through the tiny hole in the top of the cavern that had kept it undisturbed for so long.

When he reached the end of the tunnel he noticed the sounds that had become so sharp all around him. After being muffled by the stone and soil around him, now they seemed so much louder and sharper than they had before. And as all his senses came alive again he realized he could smell _everything_. His eyesight was sharp enough to pick up things he didn't remember being able to see before. And he felt stronger than ever.

Maybe his time in the ground had made him stronger? Maybe this was why older vampires were stronger, faster and all around more deadly than others, because when they hibernated it gave them strength?

David laughed out loud, but the sound came out as a rasp. His voice was rusty from disuse and dehydration.

All at once a hunger stronger than anything tore through the core of David, burning so hot he felt like he was going to combust. He zeroed in on the sound of drums, no a heartbeat, nearby. Several in fact. He let the beast inside take over, leading him through the network of tunnels in a flash. He was sinking his teeth into the throat of one of the homeless that had taken up residence in the cave, the bright burst of blood blooming over his tongue like Brandy, hot and tangy and oh so sweet, tinged with the bitterness of fear.

And then the _memories_ flooded into his mind, being absorbed like so much sensory intake, becoming a part of David, giving him a tidal wave of information.

He ripped the man's throat out after he had drained him with a roar and grabbed the next victim as they all scrambled for the entrance. None of them were fast enough and he moved swiftly from one to another, until the floor was littered with half a dozen rapidly cooling bodies.

David stood panting, blood covering his face, hands, neck and chest, power surging through him. He came back to himself as the blood began to dry to a tacky mess on his skin. He threw back his head and laughed, loud and long. And this time he sounded just like himself again.

The brush of two separate conciousness' alerted him to his brothers, finally, finally coming awake. He waited for them to make their way to the central chamber in which he stood. As they both stumbled through the door, nude and shaking, and looking emaciated, long hair tangled and snarled messes down their backs, David beckoned to them. They didn't hesitate. He slit both of his wrists with his claws and they latched on, one on either side of him, feeding on their leader's power.

After a few moments he pulled his wrists away, both boys looking up to him for guidance. He said only two words before taking to the air with a wide grin, that was echoed by Dwayne and Paul as they followed.

"Let's hunt."

***

David wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist before dropping the girl he had just fed off of into the ocean far below. He didn't even register the splash her broken body made.

The other two were still feeding, the women cradled close to them as they drained the life out of them whimpering, unable to even fight back.

After the others finished with their prey, disposing of the corpses the same way he had, they made their way back to land, back to the three motorcycles that sat waiting.

The ones they had once had were long gone, but they had acquired new ones.

They had woken up in a different world almost five years prior. A world with all this wonderful technology. They had left Santa Carla, and decided to explore the coast, moving from California up into Alaska, and then all the way back down into Texas, sticking to the coast. Now they were headed back to good old Cali. Back to their own stomping grounds once again. It had been long enough that no one would recognize them. And Santa Carla was apparently still the Murder Capital of California.

So home they were going, where they were comfortable. They were only a few miles out now from the old lair.

Of course, they would have to build a new life once again, but home was home. And things were easy to come by. It was the people that couldn't be replaced.

Revenge was out of the question, since the Emerson family had packed up and disappeared without a trace a few years after they attacked David and his boys. Apparently the old man had kicked the bucket and the rest flew the coop after they laid him to rest. So there wasn't even the satisfaction of killing Marko's murderers now.

It would have been awesome to tear Michael's family apart one by one in front of him before doing him in slowly. It would have given the boys some closure. But just having their home back was a relief. Even the Frog twerps were gone now, the comic store having been turned into a rinky dink little antique store. So now Santa Carla was safe once more.

"Alright, boys. Time to head home." David said, smirk playing over his lips as they gunned the engines. Paul let out a wild whoop as they took off down the highway, leaving the abandoned car parked at the side of the road.

***

The cave had been just as they left it, with the help of a boarded up entrance, spray painted warnings across the weathered wood, and the geas that had been placed over it. Apparently David could play a few more mind games now than mind reading, suggestive hypnotism and glamour. Now he could leave traps for unsuspecting people, warn them away from things, or make them completely invisible if he wanted.

It was another perk of age.

He had also managed to figure out how to circumvent the whole 'running water' issue. Of course, religious objects didn't work, nor did garlic. Yes, vampires were colder to the touch than humans, but they still had heartbeats. You couldn't believe everything in saw in the movies or read in books. Holy ground didn't do shit to them. But they did have a deadly allergy to silver. Humans always chalked that one up to the werewolves, but it was really all supernatural creatures that had problems with silver. Go figure.

But apparently there was a lot that could be overcome with age. Sunlight was a no go, but the older a vampire got the less they were effected by certain things that had been a hindrance before. Such as not being able to touch or cross running water. Only the youngest and weakest vampires were effected by trivial things like that.

In another century or two silver wouldn't even be an issue. At least, not a deadly one. Might still hurt though.

When David and the boys entered in cave it was as it had been left when they'd gone to ground.

A mess. David decided it was time to do some cleaning, and get with the times some. He had gained enough knowledge of the outside world during their travels to realize that they wouldn't fit in anymore. They needed to get themselves upgraded.

So he directed the boys to clearing out the lair of junk, and started bringing in things that would make it more comfortable.

They ended up with two massive sectional couches, a bunch of chairs, including several bean bag chairs that Paul had dragged in over to one side of the cave.

They also ended up with three new bookshelves full of books. And apparently the world had leapt forward with its technological advances, and they ended up with a generator, several lamps, a TV, and a stereo system that Paul absolutely loved.

So a whole collection of CDs ended up making its way onto the bookshelves as well.

It wasn't as primitive as it had once been. And the boys reveled in it. Paul found a microwave and a refrigerator somewhere and they ended up stocked with alcohol, other drinks, and tons of junk food, seeing as they only ate for the enjoyment of it.

They all ended up changing their style a little bit to blend in more too.

They did away with the dangling earrings and ended up with little silver gauges instead. David ended up with 16s in both ears, Dwayne with a single 12, and Paul with a set of 14s in the bottom and a single 20 in the cartilage of the right ear.

Dwayne and Paul started wearing their hair differently, Dwayne wearing his back in a ponytail some of the time, Paul stopped teasing his hair and wore it down with little styling at all. David did nothing, as his own customary style was still pretty popular among certain crowds.

David traded in his two coats for a long black leather duster, his jeans and worn out boots for black leather pants with a wide studded belt and a pair of brand new calf high motorcycle boots. He also ended up with a pair of fingerless gloves with metal studs across the knuckles.

Dwayne opted for a black leather jacket with a hood and a panther emblazoned across the back. He ended up with two mesh tank tops, one black and one white, and a pair of dark jeans with a plain brown belt. He lifted a pair of dark brown work boots from one of his kills that fit him perfect. They had been brand new. He also ended up with an obsidian bear claw necklace that he became attached to.

Paul gave up his flashy jacket for a tight fitting charcoal colored peacoat. He stuck to light colored jeans, getting a pair of bright white skinny jeans that had rips all down the legs, a silver belt with black designs, a brand new gray tee shirt with the Pink Floyd logo on the front, and a pair of brown leather boots with white tool work designs. On a whim he picked up a bandana emblazoned with skulls and roses which he wore once in a while to keep his hair out of his face.

They didn't stick out anymore, able to blend in with the crowds, even with their good looks.

It made things a little bit better for the boys. Eventually they had settled in once more, and became well known on the boardwalk once again. There was the occasional scuffle with other packs that had moved into the area, and apparently there were a few more gangs around these days to deal with, but they provided a bit of entertainment for the boys, and a good meal if nothing else. It wasn't long before they ruled Santa Carla like the days of old.


	4. Meander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Ramble On - Led Zeppelin  
> 

Ronnie made her way past the usual places along the boardwalk, straight past the Sunny Daze Cafe, and the surf shop next door that catered to the large crowd of surfers that graced Santa Carla's beaches.

The dark haired girl already had a destination in mind, rather than her usual ramble down the boardwalk. She was heading for a place on the other side of the boardwalk, a little specialty shop that took after Spencer's, selling everything from clothes, to party gear, to cheap lingerie, to sex toys and games.

Ronnie was lucky. Apparently one of the previous cashiers had up and left a few days before, so they had needed someone to fill her spot toot sweet. And Ronnie had been the first one to come asking after a job.

This definitely made things easier, as she had just moved in with 3 other girls in a little duplex in the suburbs close to the boardwalk. There had been an ad in one of the newest papers Ronnie had snagged for a female roommate willing to go a quarter in on $400 rent, plus utilities.

She had managed to save back nearly all of her daily take for several days, managing to save up close to $775, plus the $200-something she'd pulled that day. So with nearly $1000 in her pocket she had called the number provided. After a short meeting with the trio of girls around her own age,

Ronnie had gone back to the motel and spoken with Angie, the manager, and gathered her things to go move in with her new roommates.

Her new roomies seemed pretty cool. There was Lea, a 21 year old blonde haired blue eyed, tan skinned Cali girl who worked at a little game shop in town, and apparently loved to surf in her off time, Gemma, an 18 year old with strawberry blonde curls and gray eyes, who was a waitress at the Sunny Daze Cafe, and was an aspiring artist, and Maya, a 20 year old Mexican girl who worked as a maid at one of the hotels along the beach farther down from the boardwalk to pay for college.

All of them were pretty nice, and had agreed unanimously to let Ronnie move in with them. The duplex itself had once been divided, like two little cookie cutter apartments joined by a wall, but a previous owner had renovated it to be one big house with four separate bedrooms, one in each corner of the building on the top floor, two large full bathrooms, two bedrooms sharing one bathroom between them and a balcony each, and a large kitchen, living room, and a laundry room in the back of the house.

There was plenty of room, and as it turned out, Ronnie would be sharing the side of the house with Gemma. Gemma was a pretty neat person, keeping her things confined to her own room and out of the way, and she had an easy-going personality. Ronnie had a feeling they were going to get along like a house on fire.

The kitchen was well lived in, but clean. There was a dry erase board on the large refrigerator with a chore list divided out, a corkboard for notes, a jar on top of the microwave with a label that read Grocery Pool, and a memo pad attached to the wall behind it for the shopping list, on which there were several things already written.

Lea had given her the tour and explained that they all shared food, and the expenses for it since it was easier than each buying their own separate groceries, and they tried to be considerate of everyone else in the house, never eating more than their fair share, and everyone was expected to put in some cash in the Grocery Pool, as well as take turns going shopping.

If anyone wanted something specific just for themselves they went and bought it themselves, and kept it in their rooms. What was in the kitchen was fair game. Usually, unless it was something like ice cream, then they pit a note on it.

And apparently the Grocery Pool also covered household stuff like dish soap, toilet paper, trash bags, cleaning supplies and things of that nature. They tried to put things on the list whenever they saw that something was getting low, so they had plenty of time for whoever was doing the shopping that week to pick up some more.

It was a pretty good system, and Ronnie agreed to participate equally. That made Lea relax some.

When they had showed her to her room there was already a bed, two nightstands on either side of the bed, a dresser with a vanity and chest of drawers, and a large closet on the outer wall. Ronnie had commented on the furniture, and Lea had informed her that it had come with place when they moved in. There was a matching set in every room, though each set was a little different than the others.

The woman who was renting to them was apparently an amateur interior designer.

The living room was outfitted with a wrap around sectional couch, with a chaise on one end and matching love seat and two recliners in a dark gray soft material, and a large entertainment center that held a bulky box style tv and a little DVD player, but not much else.

Apparently the electronics did not come with the furniture. And neither did bed linens. Ronnie had borrowed a quilt from Maya, who seemed to have half a dozen of them stuffed in a hall closet, for the first night, and the next day she went shopping at Walmart in the next town over with Gemma, who drove her beat up old Subaru.

By that afternoon she was the proud owner of two sets of Egyptian cotton sheets in black and red, as well as burgundy black out curtains for her one large balcony window, some candles and candle holders for decoration, a brand new alarm clock and two huge over stuffed pillows, a long rainbow body pillow, a set of plush bath towels with matching washcloths, and a felt poster for her wall of Rob Zombie.

Gemma had given her an approving nod and a high five for that one. Apparently she liked a bit of the same music. They had several other things in common as well, like a love of campy monster shows. They talked while they shopped, getting to know each other. They apparently like a few of the same things and became fast friends and stuck pretty close to each other from then on.

She had also bought herself some things at a couple of thrift stores on the boardwalk to add to her stuff, including a big handmade blanket that made her think of old rustic log cabins, an old tea kettle that had seen better days, a set of chipped coffee mugs, an old wicker laundry hamper with a burlap liner bag, a shag rug for her bedroom floor, and a big old beach umbrella for when she decided to go to the beach.

Ronnie was pulled from her musings as her destination came into view. She was looking forward to her first day working and learning the ropes.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, the bell jingling merrily overhead.

A short girl with bubble gum pink hair looked up from where she sat behind the counter, feet propped up on the edge, magazine in her lap. She had a piercing through one of her eyebrows and a black hoodie on over a pink Blood On The Dancefloor shirt.

"Hey I'm Ronnie, I'm the new girl." Ronnie introduced herself. The other girl looked her up and down before smiling faintly and holding out a hand.

"I'm Ashley, nice to meet you. I'm supposed to be training you today. But I gotta warn you, it's kinda slow most weekdays until later on in the evening. That's when all the freaks come out and start buying our shit." She punctuated the joke with a bubble from the gum she was chewing.

"Good to know, since I'm supposed to be taking over the evening shift from Wednesday to Saturday." Ronnie looked around. It wasn't a huge store by any means, but it wasn't small either. There were displays of clothing, music, posters and other stuff covering the walls, and stands covered in merchandise lining the floor. From the theme she could see it was definitely somewhere she fit in.

"C'mon, I'll give you the tour real quick, and we can start," she crooked her fingers in the air in honest to God air quotes, "'Restocking' the shelves " tossing her magazine on the counter she dragged her feet down and stood up, leading Ronnie down the aisle and showing her where everything was.

Ronnie ended up shaking her head and laughing at some of Ashley's numerous bad jokes. Ashley seemed to enjoy it, and kept cracking worse and worse jokes to try and get Ronnie laughing.

The rest of the day went like that.

Ronnie decided that night after her shift that she was going to like it here in Santa Carla.

After her shower and settling in for the night, tucked into the newly made queen size bed in her black tank top and black and white plaid sleep shorts, just as she was drifting off the the strains of Disturbed's version of 'The Sound of Silence' on her cheap mp3 player she thought she heard the roar of a motorcycle far off in the night.

***

**Six Months Later**

It had been almost six months since she started at Nick's. Ronnie had just got her paycheck, and was actually pretty surprised at the amount she had gotten for picking up some extra hours the last couple weeks, not that she was honestly short on money. She had paid her part of this month's rent and bills, and put a little cash in the Pool, and headed upstairs.

She tucked some cash in her wallet and dumped the rest in her savings tin, that was getting kinda full, honestly.

She had settled in nicely, and everything was where it belonged. She had customized her room and it finally suited her personality. There were band posters all over the walls, her felt Rob Zombie taking the place of honor above the head of her bed.

She had also gotten herself some knick knacks and things from a few thrift stores up and down the boardwalk.

There were dragon and faerie statues on every available surface, and a huge jewelry display set up on her dresser with all her home made jewelry arrayed on it.

Not to mention the veritable army of stuffed animals she had collected from winning games on the boardwalk. She had three raccoons in different colors, a dozen or so variously colored or patterned teddy bears and pandas, her favorite of which was a blue leopard spotted panda, an orange bat that had been left over from Halloween, a purple dog, three cats in orange, blue and pink, and a single huge eared mouse in rainbow colors.

And she even had a bunch of new clothes. Her favorites were the long black hooded vest that hung to her knees, a cute little skirt with a rhinestone skull on the butt pocket, and the multitudes of old faded band shirts that matched with the rest of her wardrobe of tanks and tee's. She was a rocker girl at heart, and it showed.

She had bought herself an old stereo and burned a couple dozen CDs off her raggedy old laptop, so when she was home there was usually something playing on a low enough volume not to disturb her friends. Especially Maya, who's unfortunate music tastes ran toward pop and hip hop. Lea and Gemma could appreciate Ronnie's music somewhat.

She had the night off tonight, and Gemma wasn't around for one of their monster movie marathons tonight, and on top of that she hadn't had a chance to go to the boardwalk this week so she grabbed a couple twenties, threw on a tight black tank top with an old hair band from the eighties on the front, a pair of jean shorts and her converse, threw her Fullmetal Alchemist messenger bag over her shoulder and headed out for a night of relaxing fun.

The other girls were either at work (Gemma), studying (Maya), or asleep (Lea), so Ronnie was on her own. She meandered her way along the streets, making it to the boardwalk pretty quick. She easily made her way through the crowds towards the lights and excitements to be had along the strand.

First she shelled out for a short ride on one of the rollercoasters, screaming her way down the steepest crests, smiling the whole time. Then she won a pair of stuffed dragons in one of the game booths. After that she just walked, taking in the sights and the sounds.

She passed a large billboard covered in ads and brightly colored flyers, noticing that there was also a large amount of missing posters mixed in, but it didn't really phase her much. She'd grown up around L. A. where people disappeared every day.

Ignoring the message board like always she worked her way down toward the beach, her two stuffed dragons, a red and a blue that were identical besides color, tucked into her bag. She stopped to pull her shoes off before stepping on to the sand. 

She could see a couple of bonfires farther down the beach. She headed over to an empty spot just far enough from the tide line to not be wet and sat down, staring at the sky. The moon was approaching full.

She heard the cacophony of noise behind her, the laughing, screaming, and lower hum of people talking, the music from the rides and the buzzing and creaking of machinery, all well blended into one long soundtrack to life here on the boardwalk.

Ronnie sighed, her good mood dissipating. She could never stay like that for long without everything else crashing down on her, dragging her down with it. 

Atlas with the world on his shoulders. Her heart ached, a deep longing for something that tugged at her every time she saw a family wandering past, happy children, content wife, relaxed husband, or a young couple obviously smitten with one another. It hit her in the center of her chest every time. It had only gotten more pronounced since moving to Santa Carla.

Objectively she knew what the feeling was. Loneliness. But it felt like so much more than just one word could describe. The way it sucked her down and tried to drown her in it's vast depths. She wished that just once, she could have what everyone else seemed to have. Family. Loved ones. Someone that cared for her as much as she cared for them.

Her friendship with Gemma helped some, as it wasn't as bad when the bubbly redhead was around, but as soon as Gemma was out of sight it came right back, like it had never left.

She thought she'd had it once, but it had turned out to be one sided. So she had left.

And it brought her here, now. Ronnie forced the melancholy thoughts from her head and leaned back, head pillowed on her forearm.

She stared at the moon, almost fat in the sky. Her thoughts were weighing her down so much she was surprised she didn't sink right through the sand. It all made her so world-weary. Her eyes were heavy and she closed them for a moment.

She must have drifted off because when she opened her eyes the sounds of the boardwalk had died down. She looked over. There were still people milling about, but nowhere near as many. It was clear that some places were already shut down for the night, and the others would follow soon forcing the last few stragglers to either find somewhere else to hang around, or go home.

Ronnie picked herself up and brushed as much sand as she could from her backside and her bag before turning to jog up the beach to the stairs. She was halfway there when she ran smack into another person.

Her ass hit the sand and she heard a grunt from the direction of the person she'd collided with. She scrambled to get up, an apology on her lips but froze when her green eyes locked on to a pair of impossibly blue ones that shone in the light from the boardwalk a few meters away. She stared for a good minute, heart pounding so hard she feared it was trying to make an exit. 

Then she shook her head, sure she looked like a complete idiot standing there in the dark staring. She didn't register the hand that had taken hold of hers and helped her to her feet at first. And then he spoke. A voice deep and smooth, like velvet. A voice that went straight to her groin, heat pooling in her belly. She hadn't even registered what he had said. She blinked to clear her head.

"Hello? I asked if you're ok?" The man repeated in his sinful voice. This time she registered it. She blushed hard.

"O-oh, yeah. Yeah I'm alright. Sorry about that, I didn't see you." She said, cursing herself for tripping over her words, for being distracted in the first place.

She took the chance to look him over now. He had longish blonde hair that stood in spikes, and stubble along his jaw and upper lip. He was very good looking, strong jaw, lips just a hair away from full, and he looked to be pretty toned, from what Ronnie could see past a long black leather duster that had molded itself to his shoulders and arms over an impossibly tight black shirt that showed off some definition there as well. 

When she realized that she was checking him out her eyes snapped back up to his eyes. He was smirking at her, a mischievous glint in those blue eyes.

"See something you like sweetheart?" He drawled, his voice doing delicious things to her libido.

"Um... I'm sorry." She mumbled, embarrassed as hell at being caught ogling this gorgeous stranger. He leaned forward slowly, taking a half step forward. Up close he almost loomed over her. A shiver made its way down her spine. 

"And just what kind of thoughts are going through that pretty head of yours?" He whispered in her ear. A deep spicy scent hit her nose, something exotic that she couldn't place that only made the lust coiling in her belly spike. Ronnie almost moaned out loud.

She was dragged out of her admittedly not-so-innocent thoughts by the sound of his rough laugh.

"I'm just teasing, sweetheart. No need to get all flustered." He stepped back, letting go of the hand Ronnie hadn't noticed that he was still holding. Her cheeks flushed hot again, this time angrily.

"Asshole!" She muttered and turned to stalk off across the sand. He let her go, but she felt his icy eyes boring into her back as she went and that odd spicy scent seeming to follow her the whole way.

***

Later that night Ronnie's thoughts turned back to that incredibly sexy stranger.

His eyes glinting with mischief, that stupid smirk curling over gorgeous lips, and that mysterious scent that she couldn't place.

The events of the evening had worked her up into a hot mess, and Ronnie was pretty sure it wouldn't be going away any time soon.

The whole scene played through her head through her shower, building the ache between her legs until it was almost unbearable. She ignored it as long as she could, getting ready for bed, throwing on a black tee-shirt and some boyshorts before crawling into bed.

Where she played it over and over in her head, only this time it didn't end with her stalking off. This time it ended with her turning her head when he whispered in her ear and kissing him hard. Of course, things devolved from there until Ronnie was sure she was going to explode. So she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of her underwear and started playing along to the fantasy taking place in her head.

It had been far too long, and she reached her peak far too quickly, biting the heel her other hand to keep from crying out when she came hard, all over her own fingers, buried where he fantasy version of Blue Eyes was doing wonderful things to her body.

She felt boneless and high when she pulled her hand free and turned to click off her lamp.

It took her no time at all to fall into a hazy dream that continued where her fantasy had left off, her gorgeous stranger doing things she wouldn't even admit to liking while she was concious.


	5. Kindle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Bullet With Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins

David watched the short girl trudge across the sand, a smirk playing across his lips.

He could tell that this one was definitely different. There was something about her that was almost familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

And from the thoughts going through her head it seemed she had found him rather appealing. He chuckled under his breath at the things that girl had been thinking.

In all honesty he wasn't unaffected by their meeting either. She had been rather attractive, with her big green eyes and all that smooth skin. And she was drop dead gorgeous, from where he was standing. Full pouty lips, gorgeous eyes, and some nice curves to her. Yes, she was definitely his type, from the long waves of dark hair down her back to the rounded ass that had filled out her frayed shorts perfectly, to the toned legs that seemed to go on forever. She was his perfect kind of prey.

And she had fire in her. That spark that made him want to work her over, to break her slowly, and then taste her as he drained her dry, crying and begging for her life.

And damn if that didn't just hit all his sweet spots. He pulled the cigarette that was tucked behind his ear and put to his lips. Fishing his Zippo from his jacket pocket he lit the tobacco and inhaled deep.

He was still watching after her long after she had disappeared, but he still had a bead on the scent that had surrounded her. Lavender, the spicy hint of juniper, and something feminine. And the unmistakable spike of arousal that had bloomed brighter on the air the longer she was around him.

Finishing his cigarette, David tossed it away and followed the trail she had left him, moving slowly and deliberately as he went.

***

Ronnie was stuck working again tonight. Ashley was somewhere in the back doing inventory, or more likely smoking a blunt like the last time when Ronnie had caught her.

There were no customers currently in the store, and Ronnie was bored shitless.

The game on her phone could only hold her attention for so long before she got bored of it, and there was really nothing else to do. So she was people watching out the large window in the front of the store.

It didn't really occur to her that she was watching for a specific person until she actually spotted him.

It had been a couple of days since her night off, and she had done her best to push Mr. Gorgeous Stranger out of her head, but it wasn't really working.

And now he was standing right outside with two other rather attractive guys. All of them dressed in leather.

The statuesque blonde with the wavy hair was the first one through the door. And he was loud.

"Dude! This place is awesome!" He flitted down one of the aisles. The dark haired guy with his hair pulled back in a pony tail was shaking his head, but followed his friend. And then came Blue Eyes. At first he didn't notice her, standing by the door with an unreadable expression, and then he turn a fraction and he caught sight of her. He turned fully toward her and smiled.

Ronnie's thoughts went into a panic of _Please don't come over here, please don't come over here, oh shit he's coming over here what do I say, what do I do?_

Still, the gorgeous blonde walked right up to the counter. Ronnie steeled herself and attempted to look unphased. It was hard as hell not to blush, seeing as she'd been featuring this man in her fantasies recently.

"Well hello again sweetheart. Fancy meetin' you here." He said in a low voice. Ronnie ignored the tingle that it sent up her spine.

"I didn't expect I'd be seeing you again. I'm sorry about the other night, I wasn't watching where I was going." She said, fighting down the blush that was trying so hard to make itself known. He chuckled softly.

"Well, there's no need to apologise. Accidents happen. I'm just glad I have the chance to talk to such a pretty girl again. I'm David, by the way." He introduced himself. Ronnie raised an eyebrow at him.

"I believe when someone tells you their name, it's polite to respond in kind." He stage whispered conspiratorially  to her.

"Ronnie." She replied waspishly. It didn't seem to bother Blu--David. He'd said his name was David. Well, now she had a name to go with the rest of him in her fantasies. And it did seem to fit him.

"Ronnie. Short for Veronica, I would guess. Nice name by the way. So do you always work evenings here?" He continued with the small talk. Ronnie was not having this. She knew there was a reason for him to be here, chatting her up.

"Look, David, I appreciate the effort and all, but what exactly is it that you want?" Ronnie cut to the chase. And image flashed through her minds eye of her pinned face down to a mattress underneath him screaming as he took her from behind. She pushed it out of her head, focusing on the man in front of her. David looked both taken aback, and slightly impressed.

"Well, you get right to it don't you? Well in that case I'd like to know when you get off work, and if you would like to go somewhere with me, get to know each other a little bit." He came right out with it.

Ronnie wasn't sure exactly what to think, or how to answer. Sure, he was an asshole, but he was a very attractive one. And it had been a long time since Ronnie had had a date. Even if this was remotely close to a date it might be fun. She weighed the pros and cons for a moment, and then opened her mouth to reply, staring him dead in the eye.

"Fine. But if you try anything funny, be warned that I broke the hand of the last guy who tried to cop a feel. And if I say I want to leave, you bring me home. If I get even a hint of anything hinky, I with bash you over the head with the heaviest thing I can find and run. And I am fast. Got it?" She asked.

"Feisty. Alright, I got it, nothing funny, no unsolicited groping, and nothing that makes you uncomfortable. I got it. So what time should I be here to pick you up?" His smirk never faultered, if anything it got even bigger. Ronnie's stomach did a weird little flip. She glanced at the time on the register. It was a little after 9 o'clock PM. She had another two and a half hours to go. Great.

"11:30. And if you aren't here when I walk out the door, then I'm going straight home, and I won't bother even talking to you again." She set her line in the sand. He nodded and turned to look over where his buddies were, the blonde one loudly proclaiming his need for something on the shelf. David turned back to her.

"See you soon Ronnie." And with that he caught the darker one's eye and jerked his chin at the door. The other nodded, a slight dip of his head and leaned over to say something to the rambunctious blonde.

A second later there was a pile of stuff on the counter. Ronnie watched them as she rang up the three tee shirts with lewd saying emblazoned across them in different colors, the two sets of guages in differing colors, and the package of glow in the dark condoms that he had deposited in front of her. The thinner blonde was smiling from ear to ear the whole time, obviously higher than a kite. The other one didn't say anything, or even crack a smile. He looked like it might break his face if he showed any kind of emotion other than indifference.

"So you're David's friends, I take it." She said as she bagged his purchases. 

"Paul, nice to meet you cutie." The blonde winked. Then elbowed his darker friend who just cut his eyes sideways and glared. "He's Dwayne."

Ronnie almost laughed at the two of them. It was almost cliche. The strong silent one and the rambunctious loud one that never shut up. It would figure. And that would make David their enigmatic leader. All they were missing was the sweet, short, femininely cute one and they would be a group right out of one her shojo manga.

"Well, I would say it's nice to meet you, but then I would probably be lying." She said coolly. The blonde seemed rather irritating to have to deal with on a regular basis. Oh, God, if she and David hit it off and started dating then she might actually have to put up with him on a regular basis. The quiet one she could probably handle, but the blonde would drive her insane. Her thoughts must have been showing in her facial expression because the darker one cracked a tiny smile at her.

Her heart skipped a beat. Oh he was gorgeous when he smiled. If she was being honest they were all gorgeous, even if Paul's mouth cancelled out most of his attractiveness when he was talking.

What the hell was she going to do being around three heart stopping beautiful men? They would be the death of her.

She cashed out the ticket, handing Paul his change. His cool fingers brushed her and she almost jerked her hand back.

"Thank you, Babe. I'll definitely be back. This place is sweet. And the cashier isn't bad looking either." He winked at her right before Dwayne's hand connected with the back of his head. The indignant shout made Ronnie snort a laugh as they walked out the door.

After they were out of sight she slumped down against the counter and sighed, wondering how she got herself into these messes.

***

David dropped the girl who's throat he'd just ripped out to the sand below and wiped the blood from his face. Dwayne was still fang deep into the tiny blonde he had picked out, and Paul was twirling the exsanguinated corpse of a tall dark haired girl around the fire humming a Smashing Pumpkins song under his breath.

The other three bodies were already burning merrily away. David dropped to the earth, the rushing adrenaline singing in his veins.

He glanced down at the body at his feet. Something glittered at her throat. A necklace. A red leather band with an onyx rose, and a deep red garnet in the center of it. An image of the girl he had been stalking, his little Ronnie, the girl he was meeting up with in half an hour, wearing the choker while he pulled her head back, the red stark against her pale, straining flesh flashed through his head. It was a very enticing picture.

When he dropped the body into the bonfire, the necklace sat safely in his coat pocket. He didn't know why he was compelled to keep it, aside from the ideas it was planting in his mind. David had never had that kind of kink before. Maybe it was another weird quirk of age?

He pushed the thought away and joined his brothers as they all reveled in the night, whiling away the time.


	6. Silhouette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Animal - Def Leppard

Ronnie was cussing herself out in her head. She was complete fucking idiot. She never should have agreed to meet David after work. She should have said no, walked her happy ass home and pushed him to the back of her mind. But she hadn't. And now here she was, clinging to his leather clad back for dear life, fighting down the elated scream that kept trying to bubble to the surface every time he took a curve to sharply with his bike.

Her fingers dug into his abs, too busy trying not to die of excitement every time the machine underneath them took a curve to notice just how defined they really were.

It was a relief when they finally slowed and pulled to a stop. She opened her eyes, which had been screwed shut ever since he had taken of outside of her job. She didn't really want to show just how much the wild ride had hyped her up. She used to live for this kind of thing. But that was before.

She dismounted the bike carefully, finally seeming to notice the chill that had cut through her clothes straight to the bone. David wasn't far behind her, lowering the kickstand.

They were parked at the edge of a tall cliff overlooking the ocean. The waves crashed against the stone below. The full moon shone down on the scene making it ethereal and entrancing. Ronnie's jaw dropped. It was absolutely gorgeous.

David made his way around her offering her a gloved hand. When she was hesitant to take it he laughed under his breath.

"It's a long way down sweetheart. Wouldn't want you to slip and fall." Ronnie reluctantly took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the edge and down a natural stone staircase. It went down for a good distance before it leveled at a huge archway. The moon shone far enough into the cave for her to see that it went pretty far in. 

David let her go and stepped inside. A couple of minutes and a slightly jarring buzz later a light blinked on Ronnie stepped inside.

There was a generator against one wall that must be the source of the buzzing rumble. There were a couple of lamps scattered around shedding ample light for Ronnie to take in the sights. Inside the cave there was a large stone fountain from years past and a huge chandelier laying on its side just inside the ring of stone.

There were couches and chairs everywhere, and a rather impressive mound of beanbag chairs over on one side of the cavern. Bookshelves against one wall overflowed with books, magazines, and CD cases. A stereo had been set up across from the fountain, by the bean bag chair mountain. There was a large claw foot table that was covered in all kinds of food containers, liquor bottles, and other things. And resting elegantly beside one long couch was a massive wing back chair.

"This used to be a hotel several decades ago. It sunk after this big earthquake, and it's been here ever since." He told her.

It was amazing. But the blonde haired boy could see what she thought by the look on her face. She wandered around the massive room, fingers brushing over the surfaces of furniture. She finally made her way to the fountain, peeking inside to find the rusted remains of bits of metal, glass shards, dust, and the bleached bones of several dozen animals, mostly birds by the looks of it.

The dark haired girl turned away, a pang of regret for the poor things making itself known. She brushed her hair back behind her ear, revealing three sets of black rings adorning the lobe. She trailed her hand down to the chain resting against her collarbone that held a single metal feather pendant. She fiddled with the feather nervously.

"So you guys live here?" She asked, her eyes sweeping over everything before her. David nodded.

"Yeah, for a while now. It's not much, but its home anyway." He made his way past her at a leisurely pace.

"Wow. I don't really know what else to say. Most people can't claim something this cool." She smiled faintly and turned in a Hals circle. Yeah, this place was pretty awesome. And the best part, they never had to pay for the privilege of living here.

"I want to show you something." He said and headed into a side tunnel she hadn't noticed. She hopped around some piles of random stuff that seemed to be strewn about haphazardly and hurried to catch up to him.

She almost ran right into his back in the darkness. He led her through to another chamber that opened up. It was obvious that he knew exactly where he was going, because it was pitch black. The only thing keeping her from getting lost or tripping over her own feet was her hand on his back.

He paused for a second and then there was a click and a flame came to life in the darkness. He leaned over and fiddled with something and then suddenly there were a couple of candles flickering, shedding a bit more light. David moved away lighting more candles throughout the chamber.

So the generator didn't come this far into the hotel.

Pretty soon it became obvious that they were in one of the hotel bedrooms. There was a massive four poster bed in the center of the room shrouded by thick gold and red curtains on all sides. There was also a large armoire in the corner. 

Every other available surface was covered in either mounds of wax drippings and candles, piles of books, articles of clothing, various nicknacks and things she couldn't quite make out in the half light.

"Welcome to my humble abode." David turned to her and sketched a bow. Ronnie smiled and shook her head at him. He directed her over to an old sofa that sat half hidden behind the other things in the room.

The raven haired girl picked her way across the floor, careful not to trip on the massive rug that had slowly deteriorated over time.

When she sat down it was clear that this was one of his favorite spots. It was well worn and comfortable, and there were three or four throw pillows piled on one side of the sofa. There were also several more liquor bottles like the ones in the main chamber beside it, all either empty or nearly so.

David sat next to her on the side with the pillows and threw his jean clad legs over the arm and his arm across the back.

"So, Ronnie. What now?" He asked her, eyes glinting in the candle light. The the young woman crossed her arms and leaned back.

"Not sure, David. You're the one that brought me here." She met him head on. He laughed out loud at her defiant attitude.

"Good point. So tell me, do you drink?" He asked, picking up a half full bottle from the floor. It looked to be some sort of whiskey.

"I do, when I know where the alcohol comes from, and that its not laced with roofies." She eyed the bottle suspiciously. David raised an eyebrow.

"Relax, if I like my dates willing. And active." He said smoothly, taking a swig from the bottle. Ronnie's eyes cut to the massive bed and her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. She was fairly certain she was blushing now.

"Good to know. But if it's my pants you want to get in you're going to have to do a lot better than inviting me into your lair. Try a little romance, you know, chocolate, maybe a movie, something fun." She quipped to cover her nerves. His blue eyes sparked a little.

"Is that all it takes? Seems a little too... Mundane for a girl like you." He made a vague notion toward her clothes. The dark top with the Rolling Stones lips across her chest, tight black shorts, and her black high top converse, black captive ring gauges and the feather necklace, along with the dark eyeliner she had worn to work that day. She knew she looked good. She smirked.

"Well, you're smarter than most men. No, none of that would work on me. I prefer things like concerts and all that entails. Loud music, the emotional high, the drinking and the smoking, staying out all night, and the crazy stunts. I like my men a little on the wild side." She turned to survey the room, refusing to meet his eye and allow him to see her blushing.

The wild side was right, and he seemed to be right up her alley.

"Well, doesn't get much wilder than me, sweetheart." His voice was practically in her ear. She turned fast to find him invading her personal space. She hadn't heard, or felt, him shift. Now they were face to face, mere inches separating them.

"Why did you agree to come with me, hm?" He asked, moving a hair closer. His eyes darted down to her lips. Nervously her tongue flicked out to wet them again.

"I think I'll take that drink now David." She deflected. If he was disappointed he didn't show it. He sat back in his seat once more, handing her the bottle.

She took it and lifted it to her lips slowly, tipping her head back and exposing her throat, she took a deep pull of what she confirmed was cheap whiskey. It burned all the way down. Her eyes never left his the whole time she had the bottle to her lips.

He shifted almost imperceptibly. His eyes were hooded and there was a spark of want in them. His arms were tensed up as if resisting the urge to grab her. She nearly crowed in victory for getting the upper hand.

"I have an idea, let's play 20 questions. You ask me one, I ask you one. If we don't want to answer we drink. How about it?" She offered, feeling particularly bold at the moment.

"Sure, why not. Ladies first." He relaxed incrementally.

"Alright. How old are you?" She cocked her head to the side. She couldn't quite peg his age. He couldn't be much older than her. He looked much too young.

"Twenty. You?" He let a sly smile slide over his lips.

"19. Is blonde your natural color, or do you dye it?" She glanced at his platinum spikes. He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it a bit.

"Hm. You wanna find out?" He quirked an eyebrow suggestively.

"Not the way you're thinking." She countered and took a swig from the bottle.

"Fine, fine. Its naturally blonde, but not naturally this light. What about you? Does the carpet match the drapes?" He took the bottle and leered at her. She crossed her arms once again and shook her head.

"Yes they do. Your favorite kind of music?"

"Classic Rock. Yours?" 

"Metal, alternative, classic rock, punk. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Cruise the boardwalk, party, ride, spend quality time with the opposite sex, sometimes read a little. What about you? I mean aside from napping on the beach." His eyes glinted with mischief and laughter.

"That only happened once, it doesn't count." Her eyes narrowed. He held a hand up in surrender.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart. I'm not judging." She kept up her glare for another few seconds before dropping it.

"I like to make jewelry. I made almost everything I'm wearing right now. And I collect stuffed animals from the game booths on the boardwalk. It's a good way to kill time. You'd be surprised. So what's your favorite kind of liquor?"

"Jack. Yours?" He countered.

"Tequila. Favorite color."

"Seriously? You want to know my favorite color?" He looked bemused.

"Yes, I do. Do you really not want to tell me?" She asked, indicating the bottle in his hand.

"Black. What's your favorite sex position?" He asked smirking. Ronnie blushed hard and grabbed the liquor from him. She downed a good swallow and shoved it back at him. He laughed at her discomfort. It was a rich throaty laugh and it made Ronnie want to shove her tongue down his throat.

"That was a dirty move and you know it." The raven pouted.

"I'm all kinds of dirty, babe. Would you like to see?" He slid a hand across the back of the couch toward her and leaned forward. Ronnie's eyes widened. She barely repressed a squeak.

"What's your favorite game! As a kid, I mean." She blurted at him, barely managing to avoid being trapped by the cage of his arms. He was bewildered for a split second. Then he leaned back and seemed to consider her question.

"Probably tag, or chase, or whatever you call it. Never really thought about that before. What was yours?" He seemed genuinely curious now.

"I used to play hide and seek a lot with the younger kids, so I guess that's it." She thought back to one of the foster homes where she used to be followed around by a group of younger children begging her to come and play. A wistful smile crossed her face at the memory.

"Younger kids? Do you have siblings?" He inquired. Ronnie looked up at David. 

"No I don't. I grew up in foster care. Used to be in a group home for a few years. Those are the kids I meant. By the way I get two now. I didn't get a chance to ask my question. How long have you lived in Santa Carla?" She averted his deflection.

"Seems like forever. As long as I can remember, anyway." He said smoothly.

"OK, what about your family?" She asked.

"Just me and the boys. Our father passed away a few years ago." He told her quietly.

"Wait, are Dwayne and Paul actually your brothers?" She was confused. They looked absolutely nothing alike, none of them.

"Adopted. We were all adopted by the same man." He looked sad.

Then suddenly his head turned and his eyes glazed over, staring into the middle distance for a moment. And then he blinked and the moment was over. So was their game. Oh well. Maybe they'd come back to it later. She pushed it to the back of her mind for now.

"C'mon." He said, getting to his feet. Ronnie noticed there was a grace to him when he moved. Fluid and even, almost measured. 

She put the bottle down and followed him back out the door and through the tunnel. When they got to the main chamber the other two were there.

"Hey, hey pretty lady, how you doing?" Paul asked almost bouncing around her. Dwayne just looked at her, not a word said.

"Well, you sure seem chipper." She said with a hint of mirth in her voice.

He bounced his way over to the stero system and cranked it on. Van Halen flooded the chamber and Paul went over and flopped on the bean bag chair mountain. He immediately pulled a big bag of weed from his jacket and set about rolling himself a blunt.

"Sure am. I got my baby Mary Jane with me and I am going to be feeling _soooo_ good!" He crowed. Ronnie shook her head.

"I see. Sounds like a good night. Good music too." Her eyes cut to David. He was smirking. She pretended to ignore him, but smirked herself. She perched on the edge of the fountain, her bare legs scraping against the rough stone. Paul finished rolling his blunt and offered it to her.

"Wanna taste?" Ronnie, feeling awfully brave looked over at David where he had propped himself against a wall and lit himself a cigarette. His eyes flashed. A thrill shot through her.

"Don't mind if I do." She said and pushed herself off the fountain to go plop herself across Paul's lap unceremoniously. He cracked a wide smile. She let him light it and then took it and took a long drag off it. She held it for a second before blowing out a cloud of thick smoke. She didn't even cough, to used to smoking with Gemma.

"Ooh, we got ourselves a bold little girl here." He laughed. She took another hit before handing it back to him. They sat there passing the weed back and forth for a while, both starting to giggle a little. She started singing along to the music, a little off key but she didn't care. Paul laughed and joined in in places. She could feel David's eyes on her, like electric in her blood. The green eyed teen was so enjoying this.

Ronnie was reveling in the haze that was creeping over her mind. An idea was forming. A plan.

She got up and sauntered over to David where he had turned when she got up and was staring out at the ocean, cigarette dangling from limp fingers. She leaned against the wall beside him and nodded her head to the classic rock that floated out of the speakers. Paul was lost in his own world singing along and flipping his long blonde hair around. He hadn't even noticed she was no longer there smoking with him 

Dwayne was sitting on one of the couches, his own joint in hand and was splayed out across the back of his seat, jacket hanging open to reveal his bare chest. His eyes were half closed, but it was clear he was well aware of everything going on around him.

"So, what now?" She asked David. He barely glanced at her. He was doing that thing again where his expression was unreadable.

"Well, that would be up to you, babe." He said. She fought the urge to fidget. She was working up the courage to put her plan into motion.

"What would you say if I wanted to go back?" She asked. He turned and flicked his burnt out smoke away.

"We that boring?" He teased. Ronnie's brows furrowed and she reached out to smack him.

"I meant with you, asshole." He raised a blonde brow and smirked again.

"Alright." He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed another bottle, this time rum. And with that they were heading back up the stone path to his bike. When she shivered in the chill night air he shucked off his duster and draped it over her shoulders. He then handed her the booze.

David mounted his bike and reached out a hand and pulled her up behind him. Before he had a chance to start the engine she leaned up next to his ear.

"I lied, I just wanted you to take me for another ride." The laugh that bubbled up out of his chest was its own reward.

As soon as he started the bike and gunned the engine she let out a happy shriek, the bike lurching forward into the night.

She ended up cradling the very cold rum between her thighs.


	7. Descent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard  
> Killing Loneliness - HIM

The boardwalk had been fun. She had dragged David onto the carousel with her. He had lifted her onto one of the horses and she had slipped her leg around his back, dragging him a little closer.

Everything was brighter, louder, merrier through the euphoria and the buzz she had from sneaking drinks from the bottle hidden in the inner pocket of David's duster. And she was definitely feeling the need to touch someone. Good thing the person she had been wanting to touch for days was right here.

She was still wearing his long leather coat, leaving him in just his very tight black shirt.

He was just the right amount of cut. Not too much as to be bulky, but not so little as to be unnoticeable. She could see that he had some abs from the way his shirt clung to him, and his arms were just the right amount of firm. She licked her lips unconsciously.

He was also several inches taller than her lithe 5'7". She pegged him around 6'0" or so.

She reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder, fingers tugging gently on the fine hairs that brushed her fingers. He was looking at her bemusedly, but she wasn't really noticing.

After they dismounted the carousel he led her to an empty spot on the pier. The boardwalk was beginning to shut down around them. She shrugged put of his coat and handed it back, keeping the rum and taking a swig before handing it off to him.

"You know, for someone who puts up such a tough front you've been all over me since we left." He commented, turning to lean on the railing and pulling a cigarette pack from his jacket pocket. Lighting up and taking a drag he offered it to her. She inhaled deeply and passed it back.

"Maybe. But you aren't complaining, are you." She leaned over the railing, staring out at the ocean.

"Who'm I to complain about a beautiful girl showing me some special attention?" He looked her up and down, eyes raking over her form. Ronnie knew she was attractive. It didn't bother her when people looked. But his hungry gaze sent shivers up her spine and warmed her all the way to her toes.

"Keep looking at me like that and I'll expect you to follow through." She warned. He leaned over closer.

"From the way you were looking at me earlier that means you already owe me." She blushed, caught. "What, didn't think I saw you? You're face turns this charming red and you bite your lip a lot when you're having dirty thoughts and don't think anyone'll notice." He practically growled. His lips were so close and his breath on her ear sent chills racing along her spine.

Ronnie stood there, shifting from foot to foot for several nerve wracking seconds. And then she did something she normally wouldn't, not having only known David a short time. She straightened up, closed the distance between them and kissed him.

Immediately he surged forward and kissed back, one hand going to her face and sliding into her hair, effectively holding her in place. The other ended up clenched on her hip, dragging her up against the body she'd been admiring all night. The taste of cigarette smoke, rum, and something musky tinged with a hint of the coppery taste of pennies flooded her tongue. Her right hand flew to his chest and bunched in his shirt and the other found purchase in his pale blonde spikes, tugging insistently.

His tongue sought the seam of her lips and she opened to him. His tongue tapped against hers and she copied him. It was hot and hard and over almost as soon as it started. He dropped his hands and stepped away. She almost followed him, but pulled back at the last second. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and sighed.

His cigarette had been lost the second her lips made contact with his. Now he fished for another. He was much too quiet and he wasn't looking at her. It was unnerving. She was used to him teasing her verbally, or looking at her with that ever present smirk.

She turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and withdrawing into herself. 

What had she done? It was obvious now that he wasn't as interested as his signals let on. He'd been flirting with her hot and heavy since the moment they met. Now he was as cold as ice. She'd obviously misjudged his game. Maybe it was because she didn't know him that well. Or maybe he was always like this. How many other girls had he led on this way? With his looks all he had to do was give them that come hither stare and they'd be falling at his feet.

Maybe that was it? A power trip. And she'd played right into his hands. All tough talk, but she folded much too easily.

"Don't think so hard, you'll bust a blood vessel or somethin'." He told her. "Only reason you're even kissin' me is because Paul got you high. I'm pretty damn sure if he hadn't we'd still be going back and forth at each other. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it. You've got spirit. I like that. But you're not in your exactly clear headed and I feel like an asshole enough already."

The truth sunk in while he stood there staring her down. She looked at the ground.

Was it true? Probably. She'd made many a bad decision when she was high. Drunk, ironically, not so much though. And he was everything she liked all wrapped up in one gorgeous package. But she wasn't this easy. She prided herself for having some self respect. She played hard to get with the guys she really liked, making them work for it to the last.

So why was she suddenly so desperate for affection? Specifically his affection. Was it because the loneliness was getting worse of late? Probably.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I think I need to go home, sober up. And maybe, if you don't think I'm pathetic yet, we can try this again some other time." She said seriously. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Alright, that sounds good. Do you want me to drop you off?" He asked. She bit her lip, tears springing to her eyes. She didn't trust herself to speak so she just nodded.

She followed him back to where he'd parked his bike. Ten minutes later she was dismounting the machine in front of her house and waving forlornly as he pulled away from the curb.

Feeling like an idiot she let herself in and went to pout in her room, covers pulled all the way over her head. She fell asleep like that, one of her stuffed dragons tucked against her chest, still dressed because she couldn't be bothered to get undressed, as depressed as she felt at that moment.

***

David had almost lost it back there. He pushed his bike harder, faster. 

He had known there was something about that girl, something different. But he hadn't felt _that_ particular urge before. He wanted to crush Ronnie against himself, bury his fangs in her neck and drink deep. That was normal.

But the odd tingle in his skin where it itched to have fangs piercing his own flesh in return as _she_ drank from _him_? That one was new. And the fact that his cock had hardened at the thought of her biting him was also new.

David hadn't ever felt the urge to share his blood with anyone but his brothers. And the sex was definitely not a part of that.

So why was he reacting like this to a single kiss? A damn good kiss, he'd admit. But just that. And from a human.

He'd needed to find a way out fast before he did something stupid. So he'd made that stupid comment about her being high. Normally he didn't care if his partners were in their right mind or not. They weren't going to make it to morning anyway so why bother? 

But he had to admit it did bother him about her. She wasn't as snappy or quick with the witty comebacks being inebriated. He was man enough to admit that was what had drawn him to her in the first place.

He had a strange feeling in his gut seeing her offer herself up like that. Like she was desperate. It didn't sit well with him. But why was that? She was just supposed to be a game leading up to a satisfying meal. Right?

Growling in frustration he tried to shake the feeling off. It didn't really work. This was definitely something he was going to have to figure out, and soon. Because now there was no desire to kill her. He still wanted to hurt her, break her skin and make her bleed. But this was accompanied by the desire to caress her skin, devour her lips, taste her skin, and fuck her over and over until they were both exhausted and couldn't so much as move.

This was an unfamiliar feeling to the 120 year old immortal. 

The bluffs were in sight now. David shook off his thoughts as best he could before rejoining his brothers.


	8. Revolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Dangerous Tonight - Alice Cooper  
> Aerials - System Of A Down  
> Sick Bubble Gum - Rob Zombie  
> 

They knew something was up as soon as David walked in, pissed off. 

No sooner than Paul had asked where the pretty lady went, David had him slammed against the wall, fangs buried in the taller blond's neck, snarling. The only thing that stopped him from doing any more damage was Dwayne's hand on his shoulder. David dropped the youngest on his ass and turned to stalk off, leaving a very confused Paul in a heap, nursing a still bleeding neck wound. 

Dwayne followed his leader, knowing that this was very unusual. David wasn't usually this cruel unprovoked.

"What's going on, brother?" The dark haired vampire asked. David turned and started pacing across the hall.

"I don't know. First I was going to kill her. Then I didn't want to kill her anymore." He said mostly to himself.

Dwayne stood there silently, listening.

He never should have kissed her. He knew it was coming. She had made it more than clear that she wanted to be alone with him. Now he was feeling stupid. This girl had an effect on him that he didn't understand.

He wanted to hurt her, to taste her blood and use her for everything. And another part of him wanted more than that. It wanted her by his side.

He hadn't really lusted after anyone since Star. And even that hadn't been this intense. More of a sadistic whim.

He had a hard time keeping himself under control around this girl. His fangs were a split second from descending whenever she was close. His fingers wanted to reach out and touch her, drag her closer. Feel her skin under his touch.

He didn't understand it. For years the only lust he'd had was blood and cruelty fueled. Even with Star, it was the need to create turmoil and pain. 

Now he was almost desperate to see this green eyed beauty writhing under him, calling his name, focused solely on him and what he was doing to her.

To feel her sink fangs into his neck and drink from him while she came apart.

And it had him off balance. Which in turn made him angry. And Paul had pushed the wrong button, showing too much interest in his woman.

See! Here he was calling her his woman! This was driving him insane!

Dwayne let his brother brood for a moment, following the thoughts that the older blonde was projecting without realizing.

"You want to mate her." Dwayne stated. He had gotten a glimpse of the things going through his leader's head, even though he tried to block it out.

David froze, all his thoughts reeling at that statement.

"Mate her?" He sounded incredulous. Dwayne just nodded.

"That's what it seems like. You want to turn her and mate her." The darker man said matter-of-factly. David stood there trying to reason out why he would have wanted to mate this girl. None of them had ever heard of a mate bond like this. At least not recently. Usually they were so rare as to be practically nonexistent. To have found a potential mate in a human?

But could this girl really be his mate? If she was he would have to tread carefully and go slow, so as to avoid possibly scaring her off or losing her.

David sunk into his thoughts once more, this time much calmer.

Dwayne smiled slowly, having calmed his brother considerably, and slipped away to go check on Paul. After all, their fearless leader had a lot to think about now.

***

Ronnie sat in the corner of her balcony, pilfered pack of cigarettes in hand, two spent butts in the candleholder she was using as an ashtray. Faint strains of music reached her ears from her stereo, Aerials by System of a Down accompanying her mood perfectly.

She was dressed in an oversized FFDP shirt and tiny blue boy shorts, knees tucked up against her chest. She had had called in to work today, her boss being somewhat understanding. Although she had lied through her teeth, saying she was feeling sick.

In reality she hadn't slept very well the previous night. She had tossed and turned, fevered dreams playing through her head over and over again.

She had woken covered in sweat, a feeling of anxiety rooting itself in her gut like a parasite. It hadn't let up all day, even after a long hot shower.

Circular thoughts played through her head on an endless loop, all sharing a common theme; David.

What was she supposed to do now. She had embarrassed the hell out of herself. Would he even want to bother with her now? And then there were doubts about what he'd said. What if he hadn't meant what he'd said about respecting her. What if it all really was a power play and he was disappointed that she had had rolled over at his feet so easily. Just get a mind altering substance into her and she gave it up like every other easy chick out there?

It was giving her a migraine. After several hours of this she had trudged to the nearest convenience store and bought herself a pack of Marlboro reds. She had smoked two on the way home, and then two more as the sun sunk slowly below the horizon.

Watching the sunset definitely wasn't her thing, but she didn't want to be inside right now. It felt claustrophobic tonight.

She pulled another square from the pack and put it to her lips and lit it. Taking a deep inhale she dropped her head back against the stone behind her and dropped one knee, arm draped over the other. Taking the occasional drag from her cigarette, a sigh worked its way from her chest and she closed her eyes for a moment. She was so exhausted.

She sat there listening to the encroaching night, and the music drifting to her ears.

She let the nicotine and guitar riffs and jarring vocals of ACDC soothe her into a state of trance. Her playlist cycled through classic rock, alternative and metal until her awareness piqued again. It had been fully dark now for at least an hour.

She stared up at the sky, studying the stars and trying to chase down her stray thoughts and shove them into the darkest recesses of her mind, and failing spectacularly. It was getting harder to calm herself down. It had to be getting close to 10 o'clock now. The sun usually went down around 8:30 pm this late in the summer. Autumn was right around the corner.

She registered a new sound, breaking her out of her thoughts. There was a motorcycle revving its way up to the curb outside her house.

Dropping her long burned out cigarette into the ashtray she stood up and leaned over the rail. 

It wasn't David sitting astride his cycle at her driveway like she half expected. It was Dwayne. Why the hell he would be here instead of David, Ronnie couldn't understand, but she watched Dwayne kill the engine and turned to look up. She lifted a hand and waved at him. He inclined his head. She motioned the universal hold on sign and stepped inside. She shimmied into a pair of jeans from earlier in the week and slid her feet into her converse high tops, not bothering to tie them properly. She made her way down the stairs to the living room. Gemma was peeking out the window. As soon as Ronnie hit the landing she looked up from her not so subtle spying.

"For you?" Gemma's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"Yeah. He's... A friend." She replied.

"Just a friend? Or like, a 'benefits' type friend?" She gave Ronnie a scandalous waggle of her eyebrows. Ronnie threw her head back and laughed.

"Dwayne? Mr. Strong-Silent? No way. He's just a friend. David probably sent him." She said, picking her light jacket off the coat rack and donning it.

"David? Oh really." Gemma had a smug look on her face.

"Yeah," the taller girl sighed for what felt like the millionth time today."You could say he's my possible 'benefits' type friend, but I don't know yet." She left the stunned strawberry blonde with that and stepped out the door.

She made her way down the sidewalk to meet Dwayne. He was sitting exactly where she left him, arms draped over the handlebars, jacket hanging open, his black mesh shirt not bothering to hide the toned skin underneath. His hair was down tonight, windblown and tangled across his shoulders.

"Just a heads up, we have an audience." Ronnie jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the house, where her friend was more than likely peeking out the window again. Dwayne looked in that direction and smirked. "So, what is it David wants to tell me? I'm assuming that's why you're here, right."

The dark skinned man redirected his ardent gaze back at her.

"Actually I'm here to invite you to a party on the beach." He said cooly. Ronnie was pretty sure it was the first time he'd spoken to her. His voice was a nice rumbling timbre. It was clear that he didn't talk much, but when he did it was worth listening to.

"A beach party? Will I be expected to go swimming? 'Cause I gotta say, I don't think that's really my thing." She crossed her arms and cocked a hip. She felt like he was sizing her up.

"No. Just music, alcohol, people." He stated.

"Is it David extending this invitation?"

"No." He said, eyes meeting hers, a challenge. That honestly surprised her. Her eyebrows shot up. Dwayne tilted his head. After a moment of the two studying one another she made a snap decision.

"Sure. Let me go change and I'll be right back." She turned on her heel and sashayed her way back to the door. When she looked back he hadn't moved, hadn't taken his eyes off her. She darted inside and up the stairs to her room, right past Gemma.

She threw her long wavy hair into a high ponytail and shuffled through her clothes. She picked a bright blue tank top and a ripped up black shirt she'd made into a shredded crop top over the top, a pair of black jean shorts with rips all the way up to the pocket line in the front, and her converse, laced up right this time. She picked up her braided leather bracelet and put it on and picked out a matching choker with a little turquoise bead dangling from it and a long black chain with a series of patterned metal beads adorning it. Then she stopped just long enough to put on some black eyeliner and shove some money in her bra and she was out the door.

"Ooh, hot date?" Gemma asked upon her return to the living room. The faint aroma of some decent quality weed hovered in the air, denoting the slighter girl's plans for the night.

"Apparently. I'll tell you all about it later. Don't wait up for me, I have my key." She grabbed her tight leather jacket this time, hugged Gemma quickly and pecked her on the cheek and she was out the door, a huge smile on her face.

She marched right up to Dwayne and slung her leg over the bike and wrapped her arms around him. His barely covered skin was cool under her fingers and she could feel his heartbeat strong and steady against her chest. The bike roared to life under her and her heart jumped in anticipation. Dwayne glanced back at her and smirked.

And then they were pulling away from the curb.

***

It was exactly what he had said. A local band belting out punk rock on a makeshift stage, half naked teenagers and twenty something's all writhing and swaying, the pungent smell of marijuana in the air, abandoned bottles of booze littering the sand in places.

It was exactly what she needed.

Dwayne had pulled up next to two other bikes, one a red and black Triumph.

The dark man dismounted and led her through the crowd toward a set of stone steps where Paul was swaying to the music, shirt discarded somewhere, joint in hand.

David was sitting a short distance away, a pretty blonde girl in a bikini top and barely there shorts trying to crawl into his lap. It was clear he was only making a token attempt to brush her off.

Ronnie's chest went cold for a second, and then Paul noticed her and made a nice little spectacle of himself.

"Ronnie girl! You made it! Finally, somebody fun!" He shouted, jumping down from the steps, opening his arms to her. She smiled and allowed him to tuck her under his arm. He pulled her into the crowd a little. She glanced back to find David's eyes on her, and he looked pissed. She smirked and waved pointedly at him before turning back.

Paul let her shoulders go and started dancing, his long blonde hair flipping around to the beat of the bass pouring from the speakers.

The bemused girl started swaying to the beat, moving her hips in time, arms coming up to play with her hair.

Paul was laughing out loud. Ronnie let the music take her over. It was exactly what she needed. She lost track of how long she danced out there with Paul, but she was startled out of her trance when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned to find a blonde surfer boy who she'd seen in the store quite a few times. He leaned over and shouted so she could hear him.

"Hey, haven't seen you at one of these." His fingers brushed against her shoukder and he was much too close to her. She saw exactly what was happening. She shook her head sadly and jerked her head over her shoulder. She brushed his fingers away from her skin.

"Sorry dude, I'm spoken for." And with that she scooted closer to Paul, brushing her hands against him. He opened his eyes and followed her line of sight to the disappointed boy a few feet away. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

To make it convincing she wrapped her arms around his neck as they moved and turned her head to him, closing her eyes. After a few minutes Paul's voice in her ear sounded.

"He's gone now, pretty lady, you can let go if you want. David will probably be pissed enough at me now." He told her, she nodded and stepped away. She danced for a few more minutes trying to get back to that blissful state, but she just wasn't in the mood anymore. She wandered her way back to the stairs, where Dwayne was lounged across the stairs, a bottle of vodka in his hand and the same blonde bimbo from before trying to get his attention now. He took a swig from the bottle, ignoring her. David was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd Mr. moody go?" She asked, plopping down and shrugging off her jacket. It was a touch too warm for it.

Dwayne shrugged and handed her the bottle. She took it and took a deep swig, handing it back. He copied her.

"Hey, what about me, sweetie? Don't I get some?" Dumb Blonde asked, a whiny tone to her voice. Dwayne looked sideways at her.

"Obviously you can't take a hint. First one, now another are ignoring you, and you just won't quit. How about you save yourself some dignity and get lost, skank." Ronnie told her, taking the offered bottle again.

"Who asked you, bitch?" Dumb Blonde snarled.

"Nobody, but its pretty clear that my boys just aren't into an easy piece like you. They actually have a little taste, so run along to someone else." She said, taking her cigarettes from her pocket and lighting one. She took a long drag and blew a cloud of smoke in Dumb Blonde's face. The dumbstruck girl, to her credit only scoffed and took off, muttering about all the hot guys being suckers for weird bitches.

Dwayne was chuckling. Ronnie's eyed him.

"I see why he likes you so much. You're a tough chick." He told her by way of explanation, handing her the vodka again. She smiled and took a hearty pull.

Just then Paul reappeared and snatched the bottle from her, drinking deep. Ronnie huffed at the theft.

"What's up?" He asked in her general direction. Dwayne reached over and smacked him in the back of the head and took his alcohol back. Paul rubbed the spot and pouted.

"Not much, just chasing off a vulture." She said conversationally. Dwayne sniggered quietly. Paul smiled and pulled a pre-rolled joint from behind his ear. He offered it to her but she waved him off. She knew what land mines lay on that direction now.

"Suit yourself." He said, lighting up. She laughed and reached over to Dwayne for the vodka again. Getting wasted tonight didn't seem like a good idea, but a little buzz was just what the doctor ordered. And as long as Tall, Dark and Handsome was supplying the booze, who was she to complain.

After a little bit of passing the bottle between them she realized she had to pee. 

"Be right back. Save me some." She told Dwayne. At his nod she stood up and stretched, back a bit sore from sitting on concrete. She turned to see if she could spot any port-a-potties anywhere or anywhere to relieve herself. She walked a little way down the wall, having no luck. She turned back to go the other way.

Just then Ronnie caught a glimpse of David through the crowd. He had the blonde from earlier pinned against the cement wall a few meters away, one of her legs wrapped around his waist and his head buried against her neck. Right when she realised it was him he looked up, his icy blue eyes meeting hers. There was more than a little lust in that gaze, and he never stopped mouthing at the bimbo's neck.

All at once she was hit with a burst of nausea. The alcohol was about to make a reappearance. Jealousy and hurt coiled in her, her heart aching like there was a hand in her chest, squeezing it.

She turned away from them and stalked off. By the time she realized she was crying she was far enough away for it not to matter.

She slipped through the crowd, and around a break in the wall. There was no one around aside from two drunk boys taking a piss out in the open. Ronnie slipped farther down the way before they could see her.

***

She found a secluded place and relieved her aching bladder, finally. Fighting down the nausea she pulled her shorts back up and wandered down the beach. The sounds of the party were far away now.

She sat down in the sand, watching the waves. The moon shone on the water, creating a distorted reflection. Her fingers came up to play with the beads on her longer necklace.

Ronnie figured she had her answer now, about David. And it painted him in a much less appealing light. He only liked her while she was being a bitch, but as soon as she showed interest in him he dropped her like a hot rock.

She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face. She let the sobs wrack her whole body for a little while, and then wiped her face, told herself he wasn't worth it. She'd only met him a short time ago, and it wasn't worth the heartbreak.

She liked Paul and Dwayne, sure. Maybe enough to keep hanging out with them, if they let her. Paul was fun, and if David wasn't interested in her she would likely end up fucking him at some point. But that was cool. She'd had guy friends before that she had fucked every now and then when one or the other were in need of a good lay.

Maybe that was her problem? She was so attached to David because he was exactly her type and she wanted to screw him. Maybe that's as far as her interest went. But she had a feeling it wasn't, because if it was she wouldn't have reacted this badly to seeing him with another chick. She hadn't had issues with her past fuck buddies being with other people. Her chest throbbed as the image of David's face as he made out with the blonde resurfaced.

She buried that thought, knowing it would only cause her trouble. She didn't hear the footsteps approaching until a heavy leather jacket dropped across her shoulders.

She jumped and turned to find the object of her thoughts dropping to sit beside her. She hadn't even realized that the temperature had dropped now that she was away from the crush of people putting out body heat. She had left her jacket sitting on the stairs beside Paul, so her arms and legs were bared to the cold.

Turning away silently she refused to acknowledge him, even though he had given her his coat.

"So you not gonna say a word to me? Call me an asshole. Try to hit me?" He asked her wryly.

"Nope. We're not dating. Never said we were a thing. Not even fucking. It was just one kiss. Not my best one either." She lied. He scoffed.

"Liar." She glared at his stupidly pretty face.

"What do you want, David? I know you didn't come looking for me to apologize." She looked back to the water.

"No, what would be the point. I didn't do anything to apologize for." He stated.

"Well, that's where our opinions differ, but I get it. So you can just take your coat and leave me alone any time now." She was being a bitch and she knew it, but she didn't care. It hurt to have been led on.

"I didn't fuck her if it makes you feel better." He told her.

"Don't care. Not my business." She cursed herself for feeling slightly relieved.

"Well maybe it should be." He said. She could feel him moving closer. It distracted her enough that it took her a minute to register what he'd said. Her head snapped over to look at him in shock. 

That's when his hand grabbed her jaw and he kissed her hard. She didn't have a chance to fight him or kiss back before it was over.

"What are you doing David?" She asked when she regained her composure. His hand was still holding her jaw and he was barely inches away.

"Maybe I wanted to see how you'd react. What you'd do." He told her, eyes glinting dangerously in the moonlight. She felt the wet rush between her legs.

"If you wanted me jealous then you win. It hurt, seeing you with her. Congrats, are you happy now that you got what you wanted?" She snapped. A growl ripped itself from his throat and he surged forward again, all but shoving his tongue into her mouth, possessing her. They tipped back and her back hit the sand. When he pulled back he was pinning her to the ground, a knee between her legs and both arms beside her head.

"Careful, you're playing a dangerous game, girl." He warned. Her eyes flashed.

"Maybe I like danger." She whispered breathlessly.

He laughed bitterly. She reached up and threaded her fingers through his blonde spikes and dragged him down for an open mouthed kiss.

It was hard and dirty, teeth clacking together and tongues sliding across one another. She ground herself against his leg, pleasure spiking through her. By the time it was over they were both panting. 

"You're wild, you know that?" He told her. His lips were swollen and red. Hers probably were too. She smiled wickedly.

"Shut up and kiss me." And he did.


	9. Evolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Werewolf, Baby! - Rob Zombie  
> Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold  
> 

Ronnie didn't remember how she got home, but she did recall walking back to the party, David's arm slung across her shoulders, wearing his coat and feeling the hickey he'd sucked into the skin of her collarbone keenly.

Of course Paul wolf whistled and teased her, asking how it was before both David and Dwayne slapped him in the back of the head.

Dwayne had seemed unusually smug, even though his expression never changed. It was just the vibe he was putting out.

David had handed her her own coat, trading out for his and pulled her down to sit between his knees. His arms wrapped around her pulling her back against his chest. She couldn't tell if it was his heartbeat or her reverberating through her she he tipped her head back and kissed her again, hand laying against her throat pressing the stone from her choker into her skin.

After that everything came in flashes.

Her and David riding down the road, her in front of him, the wind whipping her hair. His arms on either side of her.

Paul's voice whooping excitedly. Dwayne laughing loud. Her own voice raising to cry out her elation. David's deep chuckle against her ear.

David flashing her a smile, his deep laughter filling the air. Fingers in her hair, lips on her neck, and his hard body pressing hers into a wall somewhere.

The taste of alcohol on her tongue. Someone slapping her on the ass, and a growl echoing around her.

The feeling of sand under her bare feet, her hair whipping in the wind.

Music playing loud from a stereo. Her body swaying to the rhythm.

A sharp pain in the side of her neck, a hand kneading her breast. David's husky voice in her ear.

And then she woke up on her bedroom floor wearing her shredded tee from the night before, her tank top and shorts in a pile in front of her balcony window.

She headed to the bathroom for a shower, her alarm clock reading 3:47 pm. It was one of her days off, so she wasn't in any hurry.

She took a long shower, scrubbing herself thoroughly. There was still sand in her hair, and clinging to parts of her she didn't want to think about.

She wasn't pleasantly sore, so she knew there hadn't been any sex last night, but there was still sand in places that it shouldn't be and marks on her skin that brought happy shivers across her pale flesh.

After her shower she dressed in a pair of Iron Man pajama bottoms and a cropped tank top and went downstairs to get something to eat.

A fresh toasted bagel with peach cream cheese later she was sitting at the kitchen table drinking her coffee.

She wondered what was going to happen now. She wasn't sure, but she wanted to see David again. She was starting to realize just how smitten she was. And as much of a gentleman he was not, there was something about him, something dark, that drew her in.

She wanted to know more. She wanted to touch him some more, to kiss him. His taste was addictive. She wanted him. More than she had wanted anyone else, ever.

What she felt for the mysterious blue eyed man was all consuming and vibrant. She felt it in her blood. She was so far gone, and she knew she was screwed.

It didn't matter. She knew it was too late the second she kissed him. The second she let him kiss her last night on the beach. Hell, probably the second she laid eyes on him when she bumped into him on the beach by the boardwalk.

Now it was just a matter of wait and see whether he stomped her heart to pieces in the end, or she did the same to him.

She finished the last of her coffee and went to get the vacuum to begin cleaning up all the sand in her bedroom, rinsing out her cup in the sink beforehand. When she was done with that she figured she'd do some laundry.

And then later tonight she'd hit the boardwalk. If one of them didn't show up to pick her up first.

***

David was awake before sunset. He had talked to Dwayne and Paul about the apparent mating bond that had formed between him and Ronnie.

Paul had made the comment that having a sister might be nice. Especially one as cool as Ronnie. Dwayne had already accepted it as fact that the girl would be turned and become one of them the night he and David had spoken.

Now it was just a matter of initiating her and turning her. He could pull the same thing Max had and lace some wine or something with a good dose of his blood.

But honestly, he wanted her to take his blood willingly. Not by being tricked into it.

So he would take his time and bring her around in time.

He rose from where he was resting, in a great mood. He didn't even get irritated when Paul goaded Dwayne into snapping at him and throwing things around.

***

That night found her standing on the balcony dressed up in a sheer gray tank with a skull on the front over a bright purple solid tank, black skinny jeans, her combat boots, and her leather jacket slung over the banister. She wore no jewelry aside from her earrings this time.

She had her hair teased into a fluffy cloud reminiscent of the 80s, and she was wearing eyeliner, and her lips were a dark bloody red.

She was smoking a cigarette and waiting. She had a feeling that one of the boys would be there to pick her up. She didn't know how she knew, but she was as sure of it as she was the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

As if on cue she heard the rumble of a bike. She grabbed her coat, her cigarettes, her keys and hopped down the stairs. David pulled up to the curb as she was locking the door. She grinned and ran to meet him.

She was barely on the bike before he was pulling away.

They ended up out on the beach, a huge bonfire going.

Dwayne and Paul were already there. Paul obviously high, lounging across a driftwood log singing along to the music coming from somewhere. Dwayne in rare form, as he was tongue deep in a pretty redhead's tonsils.

There were other people around, though not nearly as many as the party the night before. Dozens of people were up moving to the music. There were a couple of guys out in the water on surf boards. 

A bottle of Jack got dumped in her lap as soon as she sat down, so she took advantage. A couple swigs later David was taking it back from her. He put the bottle to his lips and looked down at her, winking.

"C'mon girl." He said, one gloved hand held out to her. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He led her across the sandbar and turned to her, dropping his hands to her hips and pulling her in. She moved her hips to the hipnotic beat, her thighs brushing his. She really didn't think he'd be the kind to dance, but here they were.

He was moving her against him in a seductive way, dragging his fingers across her hips, hitching her shirts up until his cool fingers were on her skin. She leaned against him and turned, her back coming up against his chest, her ass coming back to grind against his groin. She could feel his response to her digging into her back. His hand splayed against her stomach holding her against him.

As they danced he leaned over and planted several kisses across her skin, raising gooseflesh in his wake. He groaned in her ear and she let her head drop back onto his shoulder, one arm raising to tangle her fingers in his hair. She tugged at his white blonde spikes. She bit her lip.

"David..." His name slipped from her lips like a moan. His fingers slid across her hipbone to the line of her jeans right above her stomach. Just as he dipped his fingers below the waistline he spoke into her ear. His voice was thick and husky.

"Ronnie, I want you." She turned her head and kissed him. There was no gentleness to him, she knew that. He was all rough biting kisses and hard planes. But this kiss was languid and slow, the exact opposite of every other one that came before.

He ran a hand up the side of her neck to cup her jaw, the other still slipping lower under her waistband, fraction of an inch at a time.

Her tongue was curling around his, for once not having to battle for dominance. She slid her tongue up and over his teeth. That's when she felt his fangs drop. One second his canines were almost normal, if a little more pronounced than was usual, and then there were inch long fangs in his mouth. He froze.

The coppery tang of blood made itself known as she jerked back. His eyes were wide. And bright yellow.

Fear surged through her like an icy sick tidal wave. She ripped herself from his arms and ran.

***

Panic flitted through David's head. And then resignation. He was going to have to catch up to her and do everything in his power to fix this. This definitely put a damper on his plans.

He really did not need this right now. Everything was fine, they had been dancing, which David rarely did, and she felt so good in his arms. Better than good. She felt like she belonged there. And the making out, well that just made his night all the better. And then suddenly the sweet tang of her blood hit his tongue and his fangs had come down, and now she knew.

And was running across the beach in terror, fleeing from him. Maybe he should have just left well enough alone. Maybe he should have told her sooner. Maybe he should have already turned her like he planned later tonight.

Now he had to chase his greatest temptation down and try to salvage what remained.

He sent out a mental command to his brothers. They would find her, and take her to the cave, where he would do what he had to.

Sighing, he stepped away from the fire, out into the darkness until he was in no danger of being sighted, and took flight. Dwayne and Paul were right behind him.

They sped over the sandbar, closing in on her. She had panicked, and wasn't even seeking shelter, just running hard. They let her get far enough away from the bonfire that no one would be able to respond to her screams in time.

Dwayne landed in front of her to the left, Paul to the right. She skidded to a halt, sand flying from her feet. David dropped down behind her softly. She turned, eyes wide and scared, brimming with tears.

She pulled herself up to her full height. Still shorter than him by almost half a foot. She drew her arms around herself and pushed away her fear facing him head on like he wasn't capable of tearing her to shreds in an instant.

This was why he liked her, right here. She was tough, and she didn't back down. If she hadn't been startled by his transformation she probably wouldn't have run in the first place. It was that little bit of steel in her spine and the bite in her words that drew him to her. It made him want her more. She would be amazing once she was turned. A sight to behold.

His fingers itched to reach out to her. He clenched them into fists to keep from giving in. His blue eyes bored into her green ones.

"So now you know. Where do we go from here Ronnie?" He asked softly. His eyes silently pleaded with her to be OK with this, to still be his.

"I don't know David. Where do we go from here? Maybe you go ahead and eat me instead of playing with me. Or you let me go and hunt me down some other day. Or you take me back to your lair and kill me slowly. Whatever you do, just don't toy with me any more." She snapped. David took a breath to calm himself and stepped forward. She stepped back. Dwayne and Paul advanced. She was pinned in and she knew it.

"You're leaving out the fourth option there. And honestly I'm kinda leaning toward it anyway." He stated.

"You let me go?" She asked, disbelieving.

"No. You become one of us." He dropped the bomb. Now the ball was in her court.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

***

Ronnie almost couldn't believe what she'd heard. But here he was, a distant sad look on his face, for once showing his true emotions. He was just standing there, watching her, waiting for her to answer.

But how the hell did he expect her to make that choice. Become a blood sucking, sunlight hating vampire?

But... David wasn't what she'd expect from a vampire. In fact, none of them were.

Of course, this explained a lot, thinking back. Like why every time they touched her their skin was cold. And how they all moved silently sometimes. Why she never saw them before the sun went down.

She was still afraid. The boy she'd been falling for was an undead monster.

She laughed bitterly. David frowned at her.

"Why is it that all the guys I meet are so far from normal?" She asked rhetorically. Then something clicked.

"That girl, the one I saw you with. You were feeding on her. Or about to." She said. He nodded. A sense of relief flooded her followed closely by guilt, then confusion. She didn't understand herself right now. She should be disgusted and terrified, but it just wasn't coming.

"So what is it Ronnie? I don't want to kill you, but I can't just let you walk away knowing our secrets." He was almost pleading with her. Ronnie's heart ached. She didn't want to die. She was only 19 years old. But she didn't want to be a monster either. Besides, she would miss the sunlight.

"To be clear, you would only be a half vampire until you feed for the first time. So you could still walk in the sun until then. And its not so bad a trade off. You get the ability to fly, and you live forever. Never aging." David answered her thoughts. She hadn't said anything out loud, of that she was certain.

"Wait, can you read minds?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded. She licked her lips nervously.

"Have you... Have you been reading my mind this whole time?" She pushed.

"No. Only a few times. Like the night we met." If a vampire could blush she was pretty sure he would be right now. She sure as hell was. She stepped forward and smacked his arm before her brain caught up to the fact that she was in mortal danger.

"You asshole! You knew everything I was thinking that night! That's so not fair!" She shouted. He half smiled and reached forward to touch her. That's when her brain kicked her in the ass and her eyes flew wide like a deer in the headlights. He stopped before he moved more than a few inches.

It was clear that he had grown used to being able to touch her whenever he wanted. It must chafe now to be unable. Ronnie looked down at her feet, arms hugging herself again.

"What do you want from me. What am I to you, David? Because I can't see you letting anyone else in like this. I need to know before I decide." She told him. She could hear the need in her voice. The desperation. Nothing but honesty would go over well here and he knew it. This was treacherous ground. The vampire stepped back and drew into himself for a moment. After a pregnant pause he spoke, eyes meeting hers.

"I don't know. I'm... Drawn to you. I don't know why, but its why I didn't just kill you that first night. Or after that." He spoke like it was the hardest thing for him to admit.

It probably was. Ronnie let it sink in. And she kind of got it. There was something here, between them. Some electric feeling that drew them closer every time they touched, kissed, looked at one another. It was strong, and it was driving them both insane. But... Ronnie didn't want to lose that connection. It was strange, and new, and definitely not normal. But it was something she lived for, which almost surprised her.

When she'd first net him she had been consumed with loneliness. The kind that dragged her down and nearly drowned her in its intensity. But she didn't feel that vast loneliness when she was with him. Instead she felt alive. More than she had since long before she came to Santa Carla. So, was it worth keeping? Was that connection to another being enough to make her give up her humanity?

Maybe. She knew she didn't have a choice. That it wasn't really a choice at all. There was no turning back now. Yeah, parts of it were going to suck. But she'd deal with it. This was her life, and for the first time since she was a child, she actually felt free. 

But at the same time she had things in her life to take care of. People she couldn't let down.

She had a life, and for the first time since she was a child things were finally going good for her. How was she supposed to give up everything now? It was almost enough to make her burst into tears. But she was stronger than that. She would figure something out.

And what about her stuff? Everything she had ever owned? Some of those things were important, they were all she had. There was major sentimental value in those things.

Not to mention the con's of drinking blood. Wait, were vampires immune to disease?

Ronnie stood there thinking over her decision. Whatever she chose would effect her life, or lack there of.

Either way, living had to be better than dieing. Even if it was as something inhuman. Right? She sighed and looked up at David.

"Before I make my choice can we talk? About all this? I'd like to make an informed decision. I'm willing to go with you back to your... Is it a lair? Whatever, I'll go, no fight, but I want to know everything, since my choices are turn or die." She explained herself. David almost seemed taken aback. Then he half turned to regard Dwayne. It was clear there was some sort of communication between them. 

Then he turned back to her.

"Fine." And he stepped forward and scooped her up into his arms. There was no time to attempt an escape, and a sharp squeak emitted from her mouth in surprise at being snatched up and suddenly airborne.

After a bewildered moment of trying to get her bearings, she managed to get a look around.

Even with the wind whistling past her ears and her hair whipping her face, she had to admit, this was amazing. David was flying. _She_ was flying. 

The moonlight on the water to one side was absolutely ethereal. She could see in every direction for miles! The boardwalk was off in the distance, and magical with everything all lit up in a swirl of motion. It took her breath away. Maybe she'd chalk the flying bit up to a pro. She honestly would love this.

A vibration rumbled through her and it took her a minute to realize David was laughing. She couldn't hear him because, well, _wind rushing past her ears_. But she could feel it. And despite the stress of the situation it felt kind of good. Man, she really was gone on this boy. Er- vampire.

Ignoring the seriousness of the situation she decided to just take in the experience, rather than dwell on the inevitable. By the time they touched down in front of the cave she felt like maybe there was hope after all.


	10. Arbitrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Lose You Tonight - HIM  
> Inside the Fire - Disturbed  
> 

When they touched down at the cave entrance Ronnie was almost sad that the flight was over. The air around her seemed to be calling to her. She would love to be back up there, soaring through the sky, the wind dipping and spinning around her like some ancient dance. But there were more important things at this very moment.

She stepped away when David let her feet drop to the floor. As soon as the light came on she went over and parked herself on the couch directly opposite David's throne. The other two took places around the room. Slowly, David made his way to the wingback chair and sat down, throwing his legs over one arm like he had the chaise in his bedroom.

For a few very tense moments they stared each other down. Then David spoke up, sounding very tired.

"You had questions. Ask so we can get this over with." He rested his head on his begloved hand. Ronnie took a steadying inhale.

"OK. Here goes. How do I turn?" She glued her eyes to her hands.

"First, you drink my blood and become half vampire. Then after your first kill you become a full vampire." He stated, almost bored.

"OK. Are vampires immune to disease?" He nodded.

"Yeah, we don't get sick. Unless we're exposed to silver. It's the only thing that can hurt us, besides sunlight and getting beheaded." 

"OK, so we can't be staked?" A deep chuckle came from Dwayne.

"We can, but unless they separate the heart and the brain we can regenerate from pretty much anything. Other things like religious icons like crosses, holy water, none of that really works. Neither does garlic."

"Oh, well that's a relief. I really like garlic." She smiled weakly. "OK, so what about any other weaknesses?" Paul spoke up then.

"Yeah, running water for weaker vamps. It burns like hell and you can't cross it. Once you get old enough though its not a problem." He informed her, laughing slightly.

 She was cataloguing all this as they explained.

"OK, so what about strengths? Do you have any other abilities I should know about?"

"Well, we can read and influence human minds. Coven members have a telepathic link so we can communicate mind to mind. We can use glamour to play minds tricks on people and geas to hide. We are all extremely strong. We heal almost instantly when well fed. We have heightened senses. And with age we start overcoming some of our weaknesses. We all don't have a problem with running water anymore. And then there's flight." David told her.

"How often would I have to... Uh, feed?" She fidgeted.

"Every night at first. Then as you get stronger less and less often."

"It's not so bad, girly. After a while you actually start to enjoy it. Gives you this amazing rush." Paul made a happy noise just thinking about it.

"What about sleeping? Do you have to sleep when the sun's up? And do you sleep in coffins?" She sounded somewhat disgusted by the last.

"Nah, we don't sleep in coffins. Unless you're just freaky enough to want to." Paul winked at her.

"Its not an absolute, more of a compulsion. Like humans generally sleep during the day." Dwayne explained.

Ronnie was silent for a while. She was considering everything they had said. When she had absorbed every bit of information she needed she looked up and met David's sad gaze.

"Alright. Then turn me. I guess I'm ready.

David smiled, bright and genuine.

"That a girl. Jump right in and become one of us." He stood up and swaggered over to her. She stared him in the eye. She could hear the others quickly exit but couldn't look away from the captivating blonde.

He leaned in close and put his lips to her ear.

"So how do you want it Ronnie? Straight from the source or diluted. In wine, or maybe some rum?" He whispered huskily. A blush crept up her cheeks.

But she wasn't going to back down now. She pulled all of her courage to her and prepared herself. She turned her head and copied him, her lips against his earlobe this time.

"How about I take it from you, David?" And then she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. The almost startled noise he made was totally worth it.

His tongue immediately glided against hers and she fought him back. This time she was in control. She forced his tongue down and pushed herself up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pushed him down to sit and straddled him, climbing into his lap. He was hard against her as she ground down on him. She moaned into his mouth and he made a similar noise, his body arching up into her. Her teeth worried at his lip as they kissed. And then she bit down. A sweet taste filled her senses and warmth coursed through her. She sucked at his lip to get more of that addicting flavor.

Waves of warmth crashed over her and through her. David's blood burned a path to her stomach and then out to every last part of her.

David had frozen underneath her for a moment, but now he was holding her closer. If she had been coherent she would have realised the sound echoing in her ears were their commingled moans, and the sharp pain digging into her hip bones were his claws. And then his hips rolled up and she saw stars. She came hard, and her head snapped back. She screamed as the most intense orgasm she'd ever had rolled over her. The wildfire inside burned its way through her until she couldn't hold it in anymore. 

And then the world went black as she passed out.

That day her dreams were bloody, and hot. And David featured prominently in them.

***

** 2012, Santa Carla, California **

The wind outside picked up suddenly. The little house built far back in the woods outside of Santa Carla was isolated and quiet. Perfect for its owner's purposes.

The girl sat bound and gagged on the dirt floor of the basement. She was disheveled and filthy, her clothes torn so badly they were practically shreds hanging from her form. She whimpered and mumbled, unable to even move. Ten feet away across the basement there was a woman sitting inside a painted circle with a massive pentagram in it, the points of the star marked by five lit candles. Just outside the circle a man sat observing.

The woman was very beautiful. She was built slender, with deep olive skin, long dark hair that hung in tight curls down her back all the way to her hips. Her eyes, though, were the most striking. They were a gleaming silver-green that reflected the light.

The man behind her was nearly identical to her. It was clear they were siblings.

The woman was chanting in a strange language and holding a large pewter goblet with reliefs of writhing bodies carved into its surface.

The woman's chanting lilted and the young girl in front of her whimpered in fear as the goblet was lifted in one hand and a bloodstained knife in the other.

The man moved, walking over and grabbing the terrified girl. She tried to pull away as he hauled her up, tears streaming down her face and her whimpering becoming panicked screaming muffled by her gag.

The man dragged her across the floor, her heels attempting to dig into the ground and failing to do anything but leave a trail of stirred earth behind her.

He pulled her up and held her still at the threshold of the circle. His sister stood slowly and came forward with the tools in her hands. Her chanting came to a crescendo as she leant over and slid the bade quickly across the struggling victims throat. A spray of crimson filled the air and the girl gurgled, still fighting. The gov was shoved against her the bleeding wound, catching the blood. The brother held her still in her death throes as she bled out into the goblet.

As soon as the body of the young girl went limp and no more blood poured from the wound the male turned to drag the lifeless corpse across the floor once more. He tossed the cooling body across the pile of four others that had suffered the same fate before her that night and went back to his sister.

She handed him the goblet of blood and waved the knife across the flames of each candle in turn, mumbling more foreign words. As she spoke the last line all five flames extinguished at once. She released a breath and looked over to her brother. Both of their eyes were aglow in the darkness, able to see with no problem even in the pitch black basement.

"Let's take it to the pit and then we're done. I can't wait until this is done." She told him.

"Aye. I can't either Sister. We've been doing this too long as it is. I wonder when it will wake?" He turned to follow her over to a darker patch of earth that reeked of old blood.

The woman stepped forward and took the goblet from her brother's hands. She slowly tipped it over the center of the dark spot. The blood poured from its vessel onto the ground d, soaking in immediately. From beneath the earth came a rumble, almost like thunder.

Once the emptied, the woman set the goblet down beside the circle and made her way to the stairs.

"Luc, I just hope Gramamma was right. Because if something big really is coming, then we're going to need all the help we can get." She headed up the stairs.

"You and me both, Lil. Believe me. I don't want to be fighting this alone when the time comes." He moved to follow.

When they had gone there was a shifting of the earth and the blood soaked patch of soil seemed to push upward for a moment, and then it settled once more, the compulsion keeping whatever was beneath it in its place.

***

**2017, Santa Carla, California**

The moon shone down on the house, only two of its four members inside. They were both following their own nightly rituals. One was lost in a haze of marijuana smoke while she nodded her head along to the music blaring from her headphones. The other was in the shower, rinsing seawater from her body and hair from her late night trip to the beach not far from the house. She was blissfully unaware that her secret wasn't actually a secret to anyone.

A figure stood outside the back door staring up at the night sky lit by thousands of stars and seeming far off into her own world. Momentarily she would speak to thin air as if she were holding a conversation with someone invisible.

"Yes, it is in place. Soon. It will happen soon. The next phase is about to begin... Yes, I have done as you asked. Yes my lord Tezcatlipoca." She bowed her head and made a strange sign with her hand across her chest. After that her trance seemed to lift and she turned to head back inside.


	11. Rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast - Airborne  
> Wicked Game - HIM

When she woke it was to the murmur of a whispered conversation, as if someone were talking in the room she was sleeping in.

Then as awareness bled in she realized she could hear everything, from the distant dripping of water to the rustle of fabric and rumble of male voices as if they were right next to her. When her eyes opened she could make out every detail of the canopy above her, though there was no light source to speak of.

She slid her legs over the side of the bed and padded her way across what turned out to be David's room. She made her way down the passage, having no trouble picking her way across the uneven floor. When she stepped out into what was once the hotel lobby she became the center of attention.

All three boys were present, all of them watching her from where they sat.

' _How are you feeling?_ ' Ronnie nearly jumped out of her own skin. The voice was undoubtedly David's but it hadn't come from his still lips. Instead it had sounded inside of her head. She remembered them explaining something about telepathic communication. This must have been what they were talking about.

' _I'm... fine, I guess.'_ She attempted to reply. From the looks on their faces she guessed she had not succeeded as well as she hoped. Paul laughed out loud.

' _You'll get used to it girly._ ' He winked at her. 

' _It gets easier. Eventually it will be second nature to you.'_ David told her. ' _Just focus on projecting your thoughts to one of us._ ' 

She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She heard the quiet murmuring that had been there when she first woke. She assumed that was the others presences in her mind. She latched on to that and attempted to project her thoughts.

' _Is it working?_ ' She asked. All three of them smiled.

' _Perfectly, little sister._ ' It was Dwayne's voice this time.

' _She's a natural_!' Paul mentally crowed.

' _Much better than you were._ ' David quipped at the lithe blonde.

"Hey!" Paul shouted indignantly out loud.

"What? You know its true. You couldn't project anything for over a month when you first turned." Dwayne stated. Paul pooched out his lower lip and pouted. Ronnie laughed, a giddiness filling her.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, are you up for hunting yet or would you rather wait?" David asked from his perch in his chair. Ronnie shifted from foot to foot, anxious all of a sudden.

"Um, I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. Can I have a little time to work up to it?" She glanced at the others to see their reactions. No one seemed surprised.

"Fine. How about something else?" He asked. Immediately Ronnie perked up.

"Teach me to fly!" She bounced in place, hardly able to contain her excitement. All three of them chuckled, clearly expecting this.

"How did I know that's what you'd want to do first." She caught Paul handing Dwayne a twenty dollar bill, the darker man looking smug. David had a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. Ronnie became suspicious immediately.

***

"Fuck you and your goddamn sharks!" Ronnie shrieked. She was currently soaked in seawater and blood, held up by Dwayne while Paul picked shark teeth from her side where the startled leopard shark David had literally dropped her on top of had bitten her. It was a small bite, since the shark was only an adolescent about two and three quarter feet long, but it still hurt like a bitch.

David was currently cackling his ass off several feet above and to the left. This was the third time he had dumped her in the ocean, going for the literal 'sink or swim' approach to flight.

So far Ronnie was getting more practice doing the breaststroke and punching sharks than she was anything else. Flying was definitely not something she was picking up fast.

"At least we heal quickly." Dwayne told the incensed teen in his arms. The qirl only hissed and bared her brand new fangs as the blonde stoner pulled another shark tooth from her skin before it healed over.

"Hey girly, at least he dropped you over water instead of land. Trust me, the ground hurts worse than a shark bite, and it takes longer to heal broken bones." He told her. Ronnie was starting to see another side of David; the sadistic and cruel side.

David wiped the tears of mirth out of his eyes.

"Hey, I wouldn't do anything that would kill you, so don't worry. Besides, it's not like it hurts longer than the next feeding. And I wouldn't have dropped Paul over solid ground if he wasn't so irritating." The leader pointed out.

"Yeah well you can kiss my ass. Shark bites suck. Maybe we should let a great white take a bite out of you!" The half vampire snarled at her sire.

"Been there, done that." He quipped, arms crossed over his chest. He had that infuriating smirk on his face again and Ronnie wanted to smack it right off.

"Hey look, there's a bunch!" Paul said, holding up a handful of bloody triangles. Ronnie blinked at it, wondering why it wasn't making her stomach turn, covered in her blood, having been buried in her skin only seconds earlier.

"Huh. I can use those." She said. The complete lack of reaction to her own injuries was a bit unnerving, but she quickly got over it. Plans for a shark tooth necklace started going through her head. Paul and Dwayne gave her odd looks.

"I mean, who else can say they have an actual shark tooth necklace made from teeth from a shark that bit them!" She smiled.

"Dude! You're crazy girl!" Paul laughed, losing several feet of altitude in his giggle fit.

Dwayne shook his head but he was smiling. David had calmed down some at this point. Ronnie looked over at the blue eyed devil from Dwayne's arms. He was staring right at her. He smiled that wicked smile that made her heart ache.

Despite the fact that he had been the reason she had ended up hurt, she wanted so much for him to be the one holding her at that moment. He knew that she knew he hadn't intended for her to get bit by the shark. He only meant to scare the shit out of her. He hadn't even laughed until he knew she was OK. Pissed, but alright. Besides, she'd heal. And right now she wanted to kiss him. That stupid look on his face made her brain short circuit.

His eyes turned serious right then. He licked his lips and raised an eyebrow. She turned away blushing only for the wind to whip the end of her sloppy ponytail right into her face. She touched her hair back behind her face and focused on the inky waves beneath them instead. She felt the rumble of Dwayne's amused chuckle reverberate through her.

"I think maybe that's enough flying lessons for tonight. It's getting early." David turned back toward the shore a couple miles away.

"You mean swimming lessons." Paul giggled. Ronnie stuck her tongue out at him over a dark arm. Dwayne tightened his hold and followed the spiked blonde man. 

A few minutes later they were back on solid ground. Ronnie wasn't sure what time it was, but she was starting to feel the pull of fatigue starting to urge her to find her bed. 

As soon as Dwayne dropped her legs she was striding over to her sire. He turned to regard her. Paul had already disappeared in the direction of the cave. Dwayne moved to follow, leaving them alone.

"So are you taking me back home or am I staying here today?" She was supposed to work later in the afternoon, but she figured she could call in today. One of the other employees had been asking to pick up a few evening shifts recently, so maybe she could trade for a few shifts. At least until she completed her metamorphosis into a full vampire. And even if the manager had a problem with that it wasn't like she couldn't find another job in Santa Carla proper. Santa Carla wasn't a small place by any means. She just happened to live near an older less frequented part of the boardwalk.

"Really up to you, babe. We got enough time to get you back, or you can stay here. Its your call." The head vampire stated. He crossed his arms and regarded her with that unreadable look she was really starting to hate. She thought about it for a few minutes.

"Well, would we be able to run and get some of my stuff if I wanted to stay here?" She asked, trying to figure out what she wanted to do.

"Sure. If you want." He cocked his head and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his coat. He lit up and took a long drag. As soon as he exhaled a trail of smoke and was lifting the cigarette to take another Ronnie snapped her hand out and snatched the tobacco from his fingers and put it to her lips. David stared at her incredulously.

"Is this going to be a thing with you?" He asked irritably.

"Yup." She said, popping the P and took a second drag from David's cigarette. She handed it back smiling cockily. David scowled and took it. "Let's go then."

She turned and sauntered toward the Triumph, giving her hips a little bit of extra sway. She looked over her shoulder at the blonde. There was desire in his eyes and he was watching her every move. Amusement spread through her. She felt like the cat that got the cream.

He followed at a slower pace. His fingers touched her hip briefly as he brushed past her to sling one leg over the bike. She got on behind him, wrapping her arms tight around his abdomen. One hand strayed a little low but he didn't say anything as he started the engine. She pressed her face into his shoulder and smiled as they took off.

***

They pulled up to the house as quietly as the motorcycle could manage. She jumped off the bike when the engine cut. He lowered the kickstand and dismounted. The green eyed teen raised an eyebrow silently. He mimicked her and waved a hand toward the house. She shrugged and pulled her key out. She unlocked the door and let them in.

The raven haired half vampire lead him up the stairs to her room. He looked around taking note of her choice in decor.

' _So you weren't kidding about collecting stuffed animals?_ ' He questioned mentally.

 _'Yeah. Just the odd ones, or the cool ones though.'_ She picked up one of her raccoons. It was purple with lighter purple and pink stars. She smiled wistfully and replaced it on the side of the bed. He didn't say anything else, just studied her poster covered walls and the rest of her room. It felt different with him in her sanctuary. She was a little self conscious.

She pushed it aside and dropped her jacket on the bed. She grabbed her skull bag and went to grab some clothes. She opened her drawer and shoved her green moon and star pajamas with the super soft tank top and satiny shorts into it. Then she went to grab a change of underwear, grabbing the first couple sets and shoving them to the bottom before he could catch a glimpse. She went and pulled her black shorts with the lace up sides, a pair of ripped acid wash skinny jeans, a skull print tank top and a solid red one and a see through purple crop top and a shredded black tee.

She slipped her converse into the bag and grabbed her deodorant from the bedside table. She slipped out the door and went into the bathroom to get her toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and some other things.

She reentered her bedroom to find David lounged across her bed, arms behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankle. His shirt was riding up revealing several inches of skin where his black leather pants were riding low. Her stomach did a flip at the sight. She was tempted to drop her bag and go run her fingers over that skin. And maybe her tongue too.

' _Naughty thoughts there_.' David's voice in her head snapped her from her fantasy. She blushed and turned to finish grabbing her stuff. She was rifling through her sock drawer for a pair of socks in case she got cold when a pair of hands crept out to grab her hips and drag her back into a solid body. Lips found her neck and started kissing their way up from the junction of her shoulder to her pulse point. She swallowed hard and tilted her head sideways to give him more access. He nipped the tender skin directly underneath her ear.

"If we were alone and it wasn't so close to dawn I would bend you over the dresser right here and fuck you." He whispered huskily in her ear. Arousal curled in her nethers. Feeling very bold indeed she pressed herself back against him and turned her head to meet his eye.

"Promise?" She purred. David groaned and had to force himself back away from her before he attempted to do exactly what he said. They both took a moment to recover.

Ronnie turned and dumped the last of her stuff into her bag and shoved it all down so she could close it. She threw her jacket back on, snatched David's hand and practically dragged the man down the stairs and out the door. She nearly didn't stop to lock the front door. Neither of them said a word as they mounted the Triumph and tore down the street heading for the cave.

***

Glinting gold eyes watched the raven haired woman as she climbed onto the back of the triumph behind the blonde parasite. Rage seethed in his chest.

She was _his_. How dare she let that filthy leech even touch her?

A growl rose in his chest. He moved from his hiding place across the street and followed the pair at a safe enough distance so as not to be noticed. He watched the way his female's hands touched the leech. He could scent the desire coming off of her in heavy waves. The leech wasn't any better, the sickening odor of it's own desire toward his female made his stomach turn.

The bastard had to have put her under thrall. Otherwise why would she choose a filthy bloodsucker over his own glorious lineage? No, she was definitely under thrall. He ground his teeth in anger and frustration. The two on the cycle were coming up to the bluffs. When they had dismounted and gone inside the den of worms, he took up a spot outside, far from the cave, bit close enough to keep his eye on things.

He had to get his female away from the leech, and destroy it. Stake it in the sun, or tear it apart piece by piece. The leader and his filthy underlings. It was time to contact the rest of the pack.


	12. Discord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider

They pulled up to the bluffs and dismounted the bike in a hurry.

Ronnie grabbed David and kissed him hard as soon as they were free of the bike. His arms went around her and he pulled her up against his chest. He took full advantage, plundering her mouth and leaving her nearly breathless.

They stumbled down the path to the cave and the blonde dragged his girl straight past the other two inhabitants and through the passage to his room. He grabbed her and locked lips with her again as soon as they were inside. One booted foot caught the door and it swung shit with a dull thud of finality.

He had her shoved up against the wall beside the door and his hands were busy. One had found her hip and was dragging them closer to his own, the other was tangled in her raven tresses holding her head in place for him to ravage her mouth.

Her hands weren't idle either, one fisted in his shirt while the other was twisted in the hair at the nape of his neck, holding on for dear life.

She bit down on his lip as he broke away to breathe. He groaned and she echoed it. She was so lost in the moment she didn't notice her fangs descend and nick his lip. But she sure noticed the taste that flooded her mouth and it hyped her arousal up tenfold. She bit down harder to get more of that spicy flavor that was David's blood. Suddenly David jerked back and held her at arms length. A drop of blood ran down his chin. He wiped it away quickly.

Her lust addled brain didn't process at first.

"Wha?" She blinked owlishly at him. His features were twisted in frustration.

"You don't know what you're doing." He told her. Her confusion turned to hurt, and then anger.

"What the hell David?" She couldn't believe he was denying her after being so hot and heavy just moments before.

"Just go Ronnie. Find somewhere to sleep. We'll talk about this later." He told her 

"Is it because I bit you?" She demanded.

"No. Just drop it and go." He stepped back and opened the door, practically shoving her out. She didn't even have time to retort before the door was shoved closed in her face.

Fuming, she turned and stalked back out into the main cavern. Dwayne was heading past her into the hallway, most likely off to his own room. Paul was stoned out of his mind, half buried under a beanbag that seemed to have been thrown at him.

She ignored them both and went back out to the bike to retrieve her things.

She angrily grabbed her forgotten bag and went back inside.

"Hey, Paul, can you show me where I can sleep?" She kicked the beanbag off him.

"You're not sleeping with David?" He looked as confused as she felt.

"Apparently not. Come on, show me which rooms are empty so I can drop this shit. It's heavy." He hefted the bag higher.

"Sure thing, pretty lady. Just follow the yellow brick road and we'll hole you up in your very own castle." He giggled at himself.

Ronnie cracked a smile at the stoner and moved to follow him as he flipped himself to his feet and ambled toward the dark hall.

They walked past David's silent room down to a couple of doors that looked like they hadn't opened since the resort was swallowed by the ground. They probably hadn't. She reached for the doorknob of one only Paul's hand shot out lightning fast and grabbed her wrist.

"Not that one. Nobody goes in that one." He looked completely sober when she met his eye. There was a touch of sorrow there too. Ronnie released the door handle and nodded. She stepped over to another door and opened it up. Inside there was dust covering everything.

The furniture matched David's exactly. The massive bed set against one wall was covered in dust and Ronnie was definitely going to need a new mattress. Everything else was fine. She dropped her bag and turned to thank Paul, but he was already gone.

She sighed and bent to dig through her bag for the candles she'd brought. Once there were a few merrily burning on candle holders around the room, Ronnie tackled the bed. The curtains came down and went into a pile over by the door to be gotten rid of. Then the bed linens were sorted through to see what was salvageable. There was only one duvet worth cleaning. The rest joined the pile of refuse. After inspecting the mattress for any infestations and finding it miraculously clean, she dug out her bedsheets and made the bed.

As soon as she finished that she changed into her nightclothes and climbed in between the sheets. She could feel dawn approaching. Her entire being was dragging her down, like she hadn't slept for days. Knowing that fighting it would only be worse on her in the long run, she gave in.

Her thoughts as she drifted off went right back to the reason she was even in this room, alone. She still didn't understand what she could have done to make him shut her out like that.

A single tear escaped her burning eyes before she wiped it away forcefully and shoved the thoughts away and sank into sleeps embrace.

***

David was afraid. He never wanted to admit it, but what he felt for that girl scared him.

She had turned during that kiss and it had given rise to the urge to hurt her. He hadn't wanted to stop. He felt his control slip, and he couldn't afford that.

He had to keep himself in check. The urge to grab her with clawed hands and slam her down and take what he wanted, what she didn't realize she was offering at all. It made him angry at himself. He had to get the leash back on the demon inside before he did something he couldn't take back.

He didn't want to send her away, shut her down. The electricity between them was something he was coming to be addicted to. Every time he touched her it was there, a low thrum under his skin that drew him closer and brought out urges he could barely reign in. It was more than just the urge to dominate her. It was the urge to be dominated in return. And he couldn't allow that.

He wanted her to sink her teeth in and drink from him, to dig her fangs into his flesh over and over and make it hurt, to make him want it. 

That was something he'd never felt, even during his human life. It was unnatural for him and it freaked him out. That's why he shoved her away and made her go. So he didn't give in.

But god he wanted her. He could still taste her lips, her skin, mingled with his own blood. He could smell her too. Artificial lavender covering a hint of true lavender, arousal like honey thick on his tongue. He was still hard, and he had a feeling that wasn't going to change.

He turned and leaned against the wall where she had just been and let his head fall back against it. It was still warm and her scent surrounded him. His fingers made short work of the laces of his pants and found their way under his waistband of their own accord and wrapped around himself, the chilled air hitting his heated skin.

He hissed and bit his lip at how sensitive he was. His fangs dug into his own skin and he could almost imagine it was her again. He stroked himself almost angrily as he inhaled her essence around him and let the image of what he had wanted to do to her play through his head.

His ears picked up the sounds of footsteps passing his door, her muffled voice only adding to his fantasy. He caught a slightly stronger whiff of her scent and it did him in. It was over much too fast, and left him with a sense of guilt and dissatisfaction. 

Angry again, he threw himself into his bed and laid there awake, contemplating going to find whichever room she had taken and finish what he'd started earlier.


	13. Obscure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

_Ronnie was lost in a haze of pleasure and pain that she could hardly differentiate. There were bright sparks of agony littering her body, along with sharp flicks of bliss alternating for her attention._

_"You're skin is so sweet. You taste good." David's soft whisper sounded in her ear, sending shivers of delight down her spine and making her turn into the sensation of lips on her neck. He kissed his way down from her neck to her back and lower. And then his touch was gone, replaced with numbing cold. Then he flicked his tongue over one nipple ripping a high pitch keen from her. She writhed and his hands found her hips and pinned her down. His mouth was everywhere._

_She couldn't hold in the noises he was eliciting from her and didn't even try. And then the soft, sweet touches turned harsh and demanding. His hands pulled her against him and his soft kisses became open mouthed bites, fangs digging into her skin._

_And before he had even touched her core she was orgasming hard._

She came away to the crest of pleasure between her legs, sweating, panting, and utterly alone. It had been a dream. A vivid, very erotic dream, but still a dream.

A shout echoed out somewhere down the hall, and Ronnie jerked to her feet and ran for her door.

"Get the fuck out!" The shout was David's. As she made it out into the hall she was just in time to see Paul and Dwayne being kicked out of David's door, one flustered and bright red, but laughing, and the other smiling nearly imperceptibly.

"What-?" She stood there confused.

"Nothing, don't worry about it girl. Go back to bed." Paul told her, still laughing. She watched him reenter his room and shut the door with a click. Dwayne paused outside his own.

"He's just embarrassed. He might need some time. Unless you're feeling brave." He didn't wink, but she got the feeling he wanted to. He went on to his room and shut the door as well. Ronnie stood there shifting from foot to foot for a good five minutes before she ventured out into the hall and over to David's door. She didn't knock. She didn't have to. As soon as she raised a hand the door flew open

A very insenced blonde stood there without a stitch of clothing on. Ronnie gaped like a fish at his naked chest. She didn't dare look any lower.

"What do you want?" He snapped. Ronnie regained her composure and looked him in the eye. She squared her jaw.

"I was just checking to make sure you were OK. If you have such a problem with that then you can kiss my ass." She delivered her quip and turned on her heel and stomped back to her own room, slamming the door hard enough that everyone knew she was irritated. She went back to bed and crawled under the sheets. Her whole body was still in that floaty fuzzy feeling, so she shut down her anger at a certain blonde vampire and let herself drift in the afterglow while she still could and let it lull her back to sleep.

***

Night had fully fallen and despite her day of interrupted sleep, Ronnie was feeling pretty good. Energetic and bouncy. She was up before the others and had already made her way to the main cavern. Raiding the fridge for something to eat or drink to quell the raging hunger she was feeling, and coming up with a half drunk two liter of root beer and two hot pockets as her breakfast. She microwaved the food and retired to one of the couches beside the bookshelves to let her food cool from piping hot so she could eat. She picked out a battered book and opened it to the first page.

Ten minutes later Dwayne stumbled out into the room in a pair of pants and nothing else. He shuffled around in the freezer for a minute and then shut the door, puzzled.

"Paul did you eat my--" he had half turned to her, her caught in the act of bringing the first half eaten hot pocket to her mouth.

"Uh, sorry. I was hungry." She said, mouth half full. Dwayne actually laughed at her.

"It's OK. I just thought Paul had eaten them again while he was high. He does that a lot." The dark man said as he opened the bottom door and looked around inside.

"Yeah you're going to have to go shopping soon. There's hardly anything there. And here. It's yours anyway." She held out the paper plate with the second pastry on it. Dwayne reached out for it, almost smiling. He leaned against one of the tables with his prize.

"It's my turn anyway. Thanks." He said, biting into his food. He made a sound that perplexed Ronnie, but she assumed was delight. Apparently he really liked hot pockets. Making a mental note she turned at the sound of Paul coming down the hall. At least she assumed it was him as he was groaning and stumbling around.

"Ugh!" He walked into the room, blonde hair a cloud of chaos around his face. Like somebody bleached cousin it and then rubbed him all over with a balloon. Ronnie stopped cheering and stared. Dwayne seemed utterly unfazed.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Dwayne didn't even glance up from his meal.

"Fuck you, Tanto." Paul gave him the finger.

"Not my type. Don't like dick." Dwayne returned. Ronnie snorted a laugh at that.

"Whoa! When did you get here?" Paul snapped his eyes to her.

"Been here the whole time, princess." She teased.

"Princess? Really?" He turned to smile at her.

"Well, seeing as you tumbled out of bed so put together already, it seemed fitting." The raven teased.

"And what, you look so natural and composed when you wake up?" He snarked.

"Hey, I didn't even brush my hair yet, and I'm this gorgeous." She told him.

"You suck! Why does everyone else not have to worry about their hair when they wake up?" He whined.

"Shut up." Dwayne smiled and shoved the blonde.

"Everyone shut up. My fuckin head is splitting." Said the figure that had just appeared in the doorway. Everyone wisely shut their cakeholes as David walked in, fully dressed, cigarette in hand. Ronnie didn't even move an inch.

He made his way across the room and out into the night. All eyes followed. As soon as he was out of earshot Ronnie looked to the others.

"He usually like that when he wakes up?" Dwayne shook his head and turned back to the group.

"I think we'd better go get dressed. We're definitely hitting the boardwalk tonight." He turned and disappeared into the rest of the resort, Paul on his heels. Ronnie set aside her book, which wasn't actually hers, and scarfed down her last bite before doing the same.

By the time she reemerged, fully dressed in black skinny jeans, a grey tank top with Fluffy, the Avenged Sevenfold fanged bat skull across it, her long black hooded vest on over it, and her boots once again, everyone else was already in the lobby. She threw her hair back in a ponytail and stopped by Dwayne's elbow.

He had been pretty accommodating with her so far, and she was pretty sure she could trust him. If he thought she should try to get close to David tonight after the night before, she would take him at his word. If he felt she should give the volatile blonde some space, then she'd stay the course.

He shook his head slightly and she held back by him instead. David was definitely in a mood tonight. And it was her fault, even if she was clueless as to what she'd done.

Without a word they filtered out into the darkness, Ronnie stuck between Paul and Dwayne.

"Alright, anybody up for a blitz?" He held out a joint. Dwayne took it and lit up before handing the smoke over to Paul, who then puffed it twice and handed it to David.

David took three consecutive drags and then handed the joint to Ronnie, barely bothering to see she had it before practically dropping it and stepping back. She took two, coughing on the last one and handed it to Dwayne.

After it passed that way twice more, both times David acting like she was toxic to the touch, and the joint was a roach and they were all climbing onto their bikes. Dwayne pulled her over to his, knowing she was confused.

She held on tight as they took off, Paul hooting and hollering behind her.

When they made it to the brightly lit boardwalk, David seemed to have relaxed some, as he turned directly to her with no animosity whatsoever. They were parked in a lot beside the gate in a V formation.

"Are you feeding tonight?" He questioned. She turned inward, thinking about it for a few minutes. There was a deeper hunger than for food thrumming through her, and it was strong, but she could handle it for now. And honestly she didn't feel ready yet. It wasn't out of concern for her fellow man. In fact Ronnie detested most other people. They either used others for their own gain, or they hurt others to feel better about their own shitty lot in life. Truly good people were an almost extinct occurrence.

So she had no problem thinking about killing someone. She'd come close several times in her life, just out of self preservation. And she didn't believe in any of the religious or spiritual crap about afterlives or souls. What was here right now was all their was, and after that there was nothing.

But something made her hesitant to rush ahead with this and just going all out. She wouldn't be able to see Gemma or Lea again, and as little as she'd known Maya, the tiny Mexican girl had been nice to her. One of those nearly extinct nice people. She wanted time to spend with her friends, at least one last time, and then she would go ahead and finish her turn.

She was already stronger, faster, and had power over others. She could feel it in her bones, her blood, her very being. This is what she had always been meant for. No more weakness, no more lack of control in her own life. Only freedom, and the ability to do whatever she wanted without worrying about the consequences.

"No. I wanted to know if I could have a couple of nights to say goodbye to my friends and get the rest of my stuff so they can rent out my room. Then I'll do it." She explained. David narrowed his eyes at her.

' _You can look in my head if you want_.' She offered. The unfamiliar sensation of something brushing against her mind, something alive and vibrant, but very tightly controlled made her jump a little. Then David fully relaxed and nodded. He looked at Dwayne, who in turn started his engine once more and pulled away in the direction of her former home.

When they arrived she dismounted almost sadly.

' _When your ready call me. I'll hear you.'_ He then tore off and left her standing on her sidewalk staring up at the house.

***

From the direction of the carousel there was a growl, lost under the noise of the crowd. Glinting amber eyes tracked the exchange. They narrowed at the leader's words.

So she was one of them now? Fury welled up. He dug clawed fingers into his palm. Razor sharp canines sliced into his lips.

She had made her choice. The leech had gotten to her. Now she was only so much damaged goods. He felt disgusted that he had even felt anything for her.

He turned and strode toward the place where some of his pack were gathered. He went to inform them of the change in his plans. He was going to make all of them pay for taking his chosen from him. He would tear it all down.

***

"Oh my god no! Don't go that way!" Gemma shouted at the character on the screen. Ronnie snatched the popcorn off her flailing friend's lap to prevent it getting spilled.

"Gem, you do realize its a movie, right?" Came Lea's voice from the couch. She had reluctantly joined them for a movie marathon, as she sometimes did when the raven and the redhead begged. They had begged tonight, so here she was, playing the unwilling participant, even though Ronnie could feel how much she was enjoying it too.

She had always thought they were bugging the blonde when they roped her into their movie nights, but from the stray thoughts and feelings Ronnie was picking up from her over the excited chaotic jumble of Gemma's mind beside her, the blonde actually enjoyed it more than she let on.

Ronnie shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth and handed the bowl over her head to Lea, who took it and proceeded to spill kernels over the side when Gemma jumped and let out a shriek as the antagonist managed to get another victim on the screen.

"No! I said don't go that way! Why do they always do the dumbest thing?!" The redhead didn't even notice the popcorn in her hair.

"Geez, why do you do that? You scare people more than the movie does!" Lea admonished. Gemma shrugged and stuffed bits of other junk food in her mouth.

The normalcy of it comforted Ronnie and put her at ease. Some things never changed, even when everything around them did.


	14. Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Poison - Alice Cooper

The dark haired woman stood at the precipice of the room, her brother behind her hovering.

"I can feel it Luc, its calling me. He's calling me. He needs me. Can you feel it?" She spoke in a dazed voice.

"Yeah, Lil, I can feel it. But it's not time. If you wake him too soon he will kill us. He still needs to stay there and be fed. Like Gramama told us. If we break this like the other one it'll be like Mama all over again. Come on Sis, it'll ease up." He coaxed, pulling the girl from the top of the stairs and hugging her to his bare chest.

"Gods, Luc, I don't wanna be like Mama. But I can hear him in my head, calling me. He wants my blood. He wants me, Luc. How can I keep fighting it?" She sobbed into his chest.

"You got me, Lil. Mama didn't have anyone to save her, but you have me. I'm not going anywhere. Gotta protect you, remember? Even from yourself." His deep voice soothed her, making it easier to resist the call emanating from the basement. The call that had woken her in the middle of the night.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I don't think I can fight it. Please Brother?" She begged. The taller sibling nodded against his sister's dark hair.

"Always. I'm not going anywhere." He released her and took her hand, leading her back to her own room and tucking her into the massive bed. He crawled over the covers and laid an arm over her like he used to when she had the night terrors. He laid there over the blankets with his tiny sister tucked under his chin, keeping her safe from the new monster that plagued her. The sense of irony did not escape him as he fell into a half doze. He laid that way until sunrise, feeling every twitch and jump of her muscles trying to pull her out of bed and down the stairs.

After all, it was his job to be her guardian.

***

David awoke with a pounding behind his skull and an altogether different ache in his groin.

He ignored both and dragged himself out of bed. He dressed as quickly as he could, putting every effort into not tearing something apart.

After that nice little episode last night of waking from a wet dream cumming all over himself, and having his brothers barge into his room immediately after because apparently he had screamed out his release, then after he had thrown them out _she_ came to see if he was alright. It had taken all of his willpower not to jump her then and there.

She had no idea how close she'd been to being fucked within an inch of her life.

So this evening he ignored her completely until after they had left the cave. He avoided touching her as they shared their semi-customary blunt before hunting, afraid that just touching her might snap what little control he still had, strained as it was by being in proximity to her scent.

He managed to keep from glancing back at her over the ride to the boardwalk. And he didn't know exactly why he was relived when she asked for a few days, even offering for him to read her and see if she was telling the truth. He checked anyway, looking through her memories of the night before and finding a whole lot of confusion and anger there. That didn't make him feel any better, but he let her go, knowing that she still had a short grace period before the hunger kicked in in full force.

He let Dwayne take Ronnie home, and then told Paul to go find somewhere else to be for a while. Then he went and hunted down a poor bastard that had been wasted out of his mind, lured him down to the beach away from any onlookers, and savagely ripped him limb from limb, painting the sand beneath them sanguine.

After he disposed of the body and all its parts, he met up with the boys and they found some willing prey in a group of young women who were a bit too willing.

David had calmed down enough to be able to handle Ronnie when she came back. Or so he thought.

***

Ronnie was starting to feel it. The thrum of the two heartbeats calling to her. The pressure of her fangs started to slide free. She fought it down and turned away from her friends who were nearly asleep on the couch, Gemma using Lea's long legs as pillows and Lea leaning on her arm against the side of the couch and the wall. Ronnie had been fighting the feeling for nearly an hour now.

' _Dwayne I'm ready to go. Meet me outside.'_ She sent to the man. A reply came in the way of a mental brush and a sense of affirmation. Ronnie got up and pulled the blanket down from the back of the sofa and draped it over the redhead. Lea glanced up at her and mouthed her thanks. Ronnie smiled and motioned for the door. Lea acknowledged and the raven slipped outside and lit up a cigarette while she waited.

When the motorcycle roared up she flicked the butt away and bounded down the sidewalk. She jumped onto the bike behind Dwayne and they took off without a word.

Halfway back to the cave the sky opened up and let loose on them.

They both tromped back into the cave soaking wet. Paul was laying on his beanbags giggling.

"Did you get a little wet?" He teased.

"Bite me, princess." Ronnie snarled. She went in search of something to dry her dripping hair. She made it to her room, stomping past David and slamming her door.

She stripped down to her underwear, which were luckily still dry, and went to find some clothes. She grabbed her clothes from the previous day and rubbed her hair as dry as she could get it.

She turned to go back out the door, only to run into David in front of his own, blocking her path.

"What do you want David?" She really wasn't in the mood. He didn't say a word, just stood there watching. She blew out a sigh and shoved past him.

Back in the lobby Dwayne was in the middle of packing food into the fridge.

"Oh shit; I'm sorry, if you'd told me you were doing something I could have waited." She told him, guilty. She went to help him put the food up. Dwayne only grunted and moved to allow her to help. Ronnie sensed David behind her, watching her every move. She ignored him and started unpacking bags and handing the contents to the taller man. Between them it was finished in just a few minutes.

"Thanks." Dwayne told her, balling up the plastic bags and shoving them behind a counter that had been set up beside the refrigerator. Ronnie only nodded and smiled.

She had also noticed nearly twice the amount of hot pockets boxes as the rest of the food. She'd have to tell him that the ham and cheese were her favorite.

She turned to go find something else to do and ran smack into Paul hovering over her shoulder, shit eating grin plastered across his face. She scowled at him.

"What's up pretty lady?" He drawled. Obviously he was on the good shit tonight. She opened her mouth to say something, only she was beat to it.

"Let her be Paul. She's not used to your shit yet." David admonished his boy.

"Awe, I wasn't gonna do anything Davey." He whined out. David just glared from the doorway he was still leaning on. Paul let her be and went to bug Dwayne, who had picked up the book Ronnie had discarded this morning and was reading.

She made a mental note not to leave them down again. She had more respect for literature than to let a book get ruined out of carelessness. Growing up with practically nothing made her appreciate everything.

"Ronnie." David called her name. When she looked up he turned and left, clearly expecting her to follow. She did, hesitantly.

He led her to his room. She stood by the closed door nervously fidgeting.

"What do you want David?" She echoed her earlier question. 

"We need to talk. About last night." He told her.

"So is this the part where you kick me to the curb? Tell me you changed your mind and that you've decided to kill me?" She asked forlornly. He looked sharply at her.

"I've put too much time and effort into you to just get rid of you. Look I don't want to fight with you. This is already hard enough." He softened his tone at the last part.

"Then why am I here? You already showed me you don't want me--" 

"I do want you. That's the problem. I want you so much it hurts, Ronnie. And I'm losing control." He cut her off.

"What do you mean?" She asked, almost scared to hear the answer.

"There's a reason I don't have partners more than once. I have a tendency to break them. I want to break you too. But I don't want to hurt you. I'm conflicted, and damn it, it's confusing."

"That's all? I've been confused since I met you. If you're so afraid of hurting me, then quit doing it. You sending me away hurts more than if you just hit me." She snapped at him. The air between them was charged, a spark of want mixed with apprehension.

This wasn't what he had called her here for. But damn if it wasn't hard to resist. She just smelled so damn good. Spicy and sweet, like lavender and juniper, and a hint of pachouli. David inhaled her, feeling his resolve and control crumbling.

It wasn't sweet, or tender when it happened. Not that Ronnie was expecting either of those things from David. 

But when his lips crashed down over hers and she was slammed back into the wall she gave as good as she got. She kissed back, fighting his tongue for dominance. Every time it seemed like he was gaining the upper hand she fought back and showed him that he hadn't won just yet. She bit down on his lip and soothed it with her tongue, pulling a groan out of him. When he slid his tongue over hers again she sucked hard. His hips jerked against hers.

He was hard against her stomach, erection digging into her. Feeling brave she slid a hand down his toned chest wishing the shirt wasn't in the way. Suddenly his hands were on her ass, kneading and pressing her closer. She finished her hands southward journey and cupped him through his leathers, squeezing. He pulled back from her lips, icy blue eyes alight with lust meeting her own as he rested his forehead against hers.

"If you keep doing that I am going to fuck you." He told her seriously. Ronnie bit her lip and glanced down where their bodies were pressed close, her fingers tracing the outline of his erection. She looked back up at him.

"Fine." She agreed and squeezed him again. He grabbed her wrist in one hand pinning it against the wall beside her head. Even though he didn't need to breathe his chest was heaving. It told her just how much she was getting to him.

"Ronnie, if I fuck you, I'm going to hurt you. There is no gentle with me. If you want gentle go find someone else." He told her. Green eyes met blue, flashing angrily.

"I don't want anyone else. I want you, David. I don't care about gentleness, and I don't care when I'm with you that you could hurt me. If you haven't figured it out by now I like pain. And I want you, all of you. Even if it fucking hurts. So either man up and take what's right in front of you or so help me God I am going to scream." She snapped at him. His eyes widened but he stayed silent for a moment too long.

"David, I've been literally dreaming about this since the night I met you, and if you deny me again I think I'm going to explode. I want this, I want you-!?" He cut her off with a growl as he slammed his mouth back down on hers. When he pulled away she was out of breath.

"Just remember, Ronnie, you're the one that asked for this." He said right in her ear. And then he was everywhere, stripping her shirt off roughly, slipping his fingers into the waistband of her jeans and dragging them down her hips and off, along with her pink and red skull print panties, only pausing long enough to pull her boots off until he had her bared to the cool air. He only gave her panties a raised eyebrow before he was undoing her matching bra and dropping it to the floor. She was completely naked, and he was still fully clothed.

Before she had time to protest he had dropped to his knees and was lifting one of her legs to drape it over his shoulder. She knew her face had to be bright red right now, but she couldn't bring herself to care. They were this close, and she desperately wanted this.

His eyes roved over her bare sex for a second before he dipped his head and,  _oh God yes_ , his mouth was moving on her in a whole different type of kiss.

His tongue circled her clit twice before he was biting down. Ronnie slammed her head back against the wall and let out a whine. His teeth dragged all kinds of sensations from her. Pleasure meeting pain in just the right way as teeth grazed her tender bundle of nerves.

His fingers were there too, pressing into her, spreading her for him. Just two at first, scissoring inside her, stretching her and swirling around, massaging her walls. And then a third one joined then. His mouth continued working her clit as he pumped his fingers in and out, building a rhythm and picking up speed. He brushed that spot that made her body sing.

She didn't have time to prepare before she was shaking and twitching and coming apart with a moan on her lips.

David worked her a few more seconds before withdrawing and leaning back to look up at her from where he knelt. The sight struck her, a fresh pang of lust shooting through her despite her very recent orgasm.

"You look hot like that, kneeling between my legs." She told him. That insufferable smirk that graced his lips turned smug. She made a half hearted attempt and swatting him but he had dropped her leg and stood up faster than she could register. And then his shirt joined the pile of her clothes on the ground, joined shortly after by his hastily unlaced pants and boots. He didn't have any underwear to speak of.

Of course he went commando. Why shouldn't he?

He stepped back over to her, finally, gloriously naked.

Ronnie had seen him shirtless before, but this was different. She looked down at his erection, standing proud against his stomach. She reached down and wrapped her fingers around his length. He hissed in a breath at her touch.

He was thicker than she had expected. His head fell into her shoulder as she stroked him.

"Harder, and faster." He instructed. She obeyed, gripping him a little tighter and pumping him hard, picking up speed. He was shuddering under her ministrations.

"Ronnie. I'm going to fuck you now. Hard and fast, until you're screaming, and you don't even remember your own name." He told her, his hands gripping her hips. She was sure there would be marks there tomorrow. In lieu of a reply she nodded.

His hand trailed up and cupped her face, like the first time he had kissed her, and then he pulled her hand away and kissed her, fierce and fast, like he was claiming her.

When he broke the kiss he yanked her roughly away from the wall. He led her to the bed and pushed her down on her side.

She watched him as he lifted her leg and lined himself up with her core.

When he pushed inside tears sprang to her eyes. For all that he'd prepared her and as slick as she was it was still too sudden, and it hurt. He worked himself into her, shallow thrust at a time until she felt like she was too full to take any more, and he kept pushing. She endured it until he was buried to the hilt.

And then he drew out and slammed back in. She screamed. He didn't stop.

And then he hit something that sent warmth shooting through her and making her toes curl. She moaned, long and low. And then he pulled out almost completely and slammed back inside, causing her hands to scrabble across the sheets for something to grip. The spike of pleasure and pain tore through her like wildfire.

David grabbed her hips and dragged her to meet him on every thrust. She let out a scream and rode the razor sharp edge of pleasure-pain. She could feel it building up again. She had just about reached her clinax when he pulled out with a grunt.

He leaned over her resting his head on her side, shaking. Ronnie struggled to find her voice.

"David? Are you ok?" She reached down to touch his shoulder.

"If I keep going this is going to be over way too soon." He looked up at her and realization hit her. He was trying to make this last as long as he could, for her. And Ronnie would be willing to bet that he was holding back with her too, as much as he was physically able, despite what he'd told her.

"David, I want all of you. You won't break me, I'm not as weak as you seem to think I am. I can take it. Please." She said quietly. His eyes flashed from blue to gold for a second.

Ronnie bared her neck to him.

"I want that too, now that it won't kill me. I've been thinking about it since that night." His eyes bled gold again and stayed that way, his fangs decending. Suddenly Ronnie was shoved down under David's body weight. He flipped her over on her stomach, a hand snaking up to grab roughly at her breast, and hovered over her neck for a second. Ronnie lifted her hips a little, knowing instinctively what he was waiting for.

And just like that he slid home, only it was much easier this time. He filled her up to her limit, ingniting that fire that had banked itself all over again. As he bottomed out his teeth found purchase in the skin of her shoulder and sank in. Ronnie came instantly, crying out her pleasure as he rutted into her over and over.

As she was just starting to come down he slid an arm down around her hips and hitched her up, effectively locking her in place while he fed.

What felt like a blissful eternity later, his fangs slid free of her skin and his tongue laved the wound, closing it instantly. He kissed her there, right on the bite mark, sucking a bruise into her pale skin.

His hips we're moving slowly in a circular motion as he took a second to recover. As soon as he was able to manage it he started moving again.

His arm was locked across her hips in an iron grip as he ground into her hard. She whimpered again, voice raising in pitch as he growled in her ear. The hand on her breast was squeezing hard enough to bruise, but she didn't care. As long as he kept doing what he was doing and pushing her closer to the brink again she didn't care if she was black and blue all over tomorrow. It was worth it.

He twisted his hips and ground himself into her again, his cock hitting that spot inside her that set off sparks. He drew back and slammed inside again, mouth working on her shoulder, breathe coming in hard pants against her hot skin.

"Fuck. You're so tight it almost hurts." David groaned in her ear. Ronnie keened and pushed back into him, impaling herself on him. He met her stuttering hips with his own thrusts, driving himself home every time.

"David..." She cried as she felt the wave building up too fast, and razor sharp. He froze for a split second and them fucked into her harder.

"Say it again. Say my name Veronica." He growled. Pinpoints of sharp pressure on the breast he was still holding signaled his claws digging into her skin.

"David! David, ungh, David I'm coming!" She screamed. He reared back on to his knees with a roar, dragging her hips up with him and rammed himself into her over and over as the pressure finally crested and Ronnie came hard one last time, a hoarse cry ripping itself from her throat and her walls contracting around him, milking him as she rode out her orgasm.

"Fuck!" David shouted, coming right behind her.

He collapsed beside her panting hard and dragged her closer to him, cradling her to his chest as she came down. He brushed her sweat dampened hair back away from her face. His lips traced a path from her ear down her shoulder and back again as she lay there trying to catch her breath.

"That was better than I imagined. You feel so good around me. You know that?" He whispered huskily. Ronnie lifted one arm and cupped his stubbled cheek, guiding him down to kiss her. He tasted of her blood, copper and sweet, with a hint of her sex mixed in.

"When I can move again, and I don't feel half dead, we're doing that again." She laid her hard back against his chest, fingers buried in his blonde spikes.

"I agree. And next time I'm going to fuck that mouth of yours." He mumbled. A sliver of lust attempted lazily to curl its way through her, but it was just too much trouble.

Laughing light-heartedly she turned to burrow into his chest. Between one heartbeat and the next she was asleep. David pulled the blanket up over her and threw his arm over her back. He lay there as she slept, thinking about how this changed everything, and nothing at the same time.

She was finally his. Marked and all. Not that it wasn't painfully clear to anyone who saw them in the same room together that they belonged to one another. They'd had more than a little sexual tension building between them for days. Now it was just official.

And the sex was amazing. David hadn't felt like that in all his time as a vampire, and definitely not before that. Just touching her skin gave him shivers of delight. This was a whole new level. It was going to be nearly impossible not to attack her and fuck her into whatever surface made itself handy, anyone else who happened to be around be damned.

David sighed and pressed his lips to her back, fingers tracing along her tattoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Its finally to this point! I'm so excited!!  
> Whoohoo!  
> The next few chapters are going to introduce some interesting plot twists, so be prepared. The sexual tension may be relieved for now, but it's being replaced by something else entirely.


	15. Diffuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Here In My Arms - HIM

Ronnie woke up warm and fuzzy, and content. She lay there for a while, basking in it. This was the first time in her life that she felt like this. Happy. Safe. Loved.

It was novel, and she knew now why people would do anything for this. Why they went insane without it. She knew she would kill to keep this. To keep him. David was hers now. And she wasn't letting go ever.

"Mmh, finally awake?" His husky voice asked in her ear. His lips traced a path down her neck to her shoulder.

"Good morning to you too." She purred, turning in his arms to face him. His blue eyes were hooded and she slid a knee in between his legs, coming up against his fully erect member. She smiled seductively and trailed her fingers down his chest until she reached it and took it in hand, stroking languorously.

"It's evening. Mm. So that's how it is. I could get used to this." He said, rolling his hips into her hand. He kissed her, slowly, fangs descending and nipping at her bottom lip. It woke her fully, all lethargy gone. The flame in her reignited and became an inferno. Feeling a lack of patience she leaned up into the kiss and pushed.

David was taken by surprise and she had him on his back and a leg thrown over his hips, fingers guiding him to her entrance. She slid down on him in one go.

"Ah!" She cried out as he filled her in an entirely different way than the previous night. She rocked her hips experimentally.

"Damn!" David threw his head back and grabbed her hips in both hands, guiding her as she swayed above him. 

"David..." She moaned his name. He growled and jerked his hips upwards. She gasped and he did it again. But she wanted him to know that she was in control this time. She snapped her hips into a fast rhythm and slid her hand up his chest to his neck. He was straining and biting Hus lip under her. She grabbed his throat, claws coming forth and digging in to his skin there. She bared her fangs and met his eyes as she rode him hard.

He was definitely in the moment. Eyes glazed over with pleasure, teeth worrying his bottom lip, arms and neck straining. She felt the power going to her head, and elsewhere. This was a major turn on for her. And David seemed to be enjoying it just as much.

The ecstasy was mounting and she knew she was going to come. She opened her mouth on a silent scream and her fangs dropped suddenly as her climax broke over her. She didn't think, just fisted her hand in his blonde spikes and yanked his head to the side roughly and sunk her fangs into his neck.

His taste flooded her tongue, sweet, spicy, tangy. She dimly heard him shout and then he had her flipped, back into the mattress and he was slamming into her hard and fast as he came. It threw her directly into a second, stronger orgasm. The last thing she heard before the world whited out was him roaring as he pumped into her, and her own voice raising in a scream to match.

***

When David and Ronnie made it out to the lobby, both looking utterly fucked out, David was only just pulling a black shirt over his chest, which was littered with marks, and Ronnie was pulling her hair into a sloppy ponytail, dressed in last night's clothes.

There was music playing from the stereo and Dwayne was buried in a book while Paul was halfway through a hand rolled. When Paul spotted them he grinned from ear to ear and catcalled them. David smacked him it the back of the head as he passed to dig food out of the fridge.

"We hunting as a pack tonight, or solo?" Dwayne asked as he turned a page and didn't glance up even once.

"Pack." David replied. When he emerged from the fridge there was an apple in his mouth and he had five breakfast sandwiches cradled in his hands. Ronnie slid past him and grabbed a bottle of soda. 

The blonde unwrapped the food and piled it on a paper plate and popped it in the microwave.

The raven turned and flopped into David's throne. No one said a word when she wasn't immediately told to get her ass out of it, even though David had watched her do it.

Had it been anyone else they would be in trouble. Ronnie however, seemed to have a pass.

The microwave ding sounded and David pulled the food out of it and went to displace his usurper lo g enough to sit down, whereupon she perched herself on his lap and leaned her head back, batting her eyes at him in a manner he refused to acknowledge as cute.

"Is one of those for me?" She asked innocently. He didn't answer, just picked up a biscuit with sausage, cheese and egg, and bit into it. Ronnie pouted. He took another bite and handed her one from the plate. With a little squeak of happiness she dug in, burning her tongue in the process making David laugh at her.

Paul and Dwayne were both looking at them in near shock, Dwayne over the top of his book, Paul with his mouth agape and his hand in the act of bringing his joint to his mouth for a puff.

David ignored them.

***

That night's hu t had gone very good. Even with Ronnie tagging along to observe.

She was better bait than Star ever had been, batting her huge green eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder, and flirting it up with both sexes, to the point David and Dwayne had to defend her from more than a few unwanted gropes and come-ons that it had all three men on edge.

One girl in particular had ended up becoming Dwayne's meal. A girl with purple hair and tattoos covering at least sixty percent of her body.

She had screamed nicely when Dwayne had ripped into her.

Ronnie hadn't freaked out at all when David had pulled her along to watch what was happening. She had even enjoyed it. It took a lot of self control not to join in. 

It had her questioning why she even had restrained. And then Gemma and Lea's faces surrounded by sunlight and sand, and ocean had reminded her. She had one more day, and plans to follow through on before she could fully turn. Lea's birthday was tomorrow, which she hadn't even known until Gemma had called after breakfast, and after the party, which was being pushed on the tall blonde by Gemma, Ronnie was free to become a full vampire.

Ronnie hadn't even remembered her phone was on her until the Full metal Alchemist song had started blaring from her jacket pocket. Shouldn't that thing have died by now?

It was extremely hard to resist though. It helped that she had fed from David. His blood bolstered her and made her stronger. She figured she could probably survive on that alone, if he would let her. And it was a hell of an afrodesiac, if the sudden and intense desire she had felt afterwards meant anything.

Ronnie was fully prepared to turn though. She really wanted to know what being a vampire was like. He new life was waiting, right there for the taking g. And she was ready to grab on with both hands and ride that wave all the way down.

Paul and Dwayne were in a good mood too, laughing and joking with her and David, Dwayne slinging a protective arm over her shoulder when Paul started picking on her.

David was smiling, and everything was good.

And then the phone started ringing again. Ronnie pulled it from her pocket and checked the ID. Gemma's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello?" Ronnie answered.

"Ronnie, I think you need to bring your new boyfriend, and fast. Somebody broke into the house. Lea and I are in my room with the door barred, but Maya's not here and they're still here. And I think they have a dog, because something keeps sniffing the door and howling." Gemma whispered into the phone. A cold wave crashed through Ronnie and she turned to look at David. He had heard. His face was unreadable, his eyes cold.

Dwayne and Paul were right there too, a look of sick glee on both their faces.

"Gem, just stay where you are, we're on the way. Don't do anything, and don't make any noise. I'm coming for you." The raven promised before she snapped the phone closed and leapt from halfway down the cliff into the air.

Her mind was only set on getting to her friends before anyone hurt them.

' _Ronnie, we need to do some recon before we go in. She said dog, but it could be something else. You know vampires aren't the only things that are real.'_ David told her mentally.

' _Already planned it. If its something else I'm going to rip it limb from limb._ ' She sent back. She could already feel her claws and fangs fully extended. Her heart was pumping hard and she was seeing red.

' _Not unless you plan on grabbing a snack on the way and finishing the turn. You aren't strong enough to fight a werewolf. Let me and the boys, you just get your friends out of there._ ' He commanded her. She growled in frustration, even though she knew he was right.

' _Fine_.' She acquiesced and let him take the lead.


	16. Animosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Indestructible - Disturbed

When they arrived the front door was open and the sounds of things getting broken and male voices filtered from inside.

Ronnie hung back while the boys circled the house silently. Dwayne managed to land on the side if the house and peeked in one of the rooms. He came back with dire news. All of them met back up in a neighbors yard.

' _They're definitely werewolves. I can smell the stench of dog, blood and magic on them. Not sure exactly how many, but there's at least five.'_ Dwayne told them silently.

' _Yeah, I can feel it too. And one of them is pretty powerful too. He's in human form, and still tearing things apart.'_ David added.

' _You think he's the leader?_ ' Ronnie asked, worry overshadowing her anger for a moment. She shifted from foot to foot. Paul was uncharacteristically silent, his eyes on the house.

' _More than likely. Which means you don't go in at all. They probably have a lookout posted. That makes at least six. Probably more.'_ David told her. His tone brooked no argument. It chafed her and brought back her anger, knowing that she couldn't even help her friends.

' _What's the plan?_ ' Dwayne inquired. They were all vibrating with energy. Paul, it seemed, most of all.

' _First you and I flank, then Paul comes in from the front._ ' David explained. Paul smiled an almost deranged smile and bounced on the balls of his feet. Dwayne smirked.

' _And me? I know I'm supposed to hang back, but I need to do something._ ' She stressed to him. His blue eyes were unreadable, but for a moment Ronnie thought they softened. And then they were blue ice once more.

' _Find a place you can see everything and be our lookout. Make sure none of them escape._ ' He said, and turned to the house. Ronnie was glad she was so observant. As the boys took positions around the house she found a place to wait and watch.

As soon as David sent the signal, all hell broke loose.

***

There was no way in hell a pack of mutts had found this place by coincidence. They had to have been following Ronnie to know she stayed here, and that she had ties to the boys.

This meant that someone was following the girl, probably targeting her for a potential turn. They wouldn't have gotten so uppity over prey. And because the boys got to her first, they had gotten angry. Which meant they were planning an attack on them, and this was just a message. 

And it pissed him off completely. That they would stalk his woman at all after his interest had been made clear, and that they had the balls to come after her home, her friends. If she'd had any family, they would have been target number one. 

And now David was riding to the rescue of a bunch of humans, when he couldn't care less about them at all, to keep his girl from jumping into the line of fire and getting herself shredded over what should have just been a meal.

But he had seen how deep her feelings for these girls went when he'd seen into her mind. And for someone who had lived as she had to be so close to them, he wasn't about to be the asshole he had been in previous experience. He wanted her happy and safe. And to do that, putting his protection on three human girls and going to battle against a bunch of mangy dogs was a small price to pay.

As David took his position, he saw one of the beasts sniffing around one of the doors that he knew was one very miniscule barrier between the terrified humans and a bloody death. He sent the mental image to the other two and signalled the attack. He swooped forward and busted through the window, tackling the unsuspecting shapeshifter to the ground and tearing into him with claws and fangs. 

Normally he hated feeding on anything other than human because the taste wasn't especially pleasant. Werewolves were the worst, being ancient enemies and opposites in magical energy. Vampires were undead an immortal, while werewolves were alive, and if not immortal, than extremely long lived. The oldest werewolf ever known had been well over five thousand years old.

But David made an exception to this as he drained the wolf dry, feeling his heartbeat slow and then stop. And then the vampire punched an arm into the mutt's chest and ripped out his heart, tossing the muscle across the room.

All this took less than thirty seconds. Dwayne had come in the other side of the house and was facing two on his own. Paul was making his way through the door, and straight toward two more. The leader wasn't anywhere to be seen. David turned and searched with ears and eyes. His sense of smell did him no good here, as the air was so saturated with the smell of wolf that he had to block it out.

There, two frantic, terrified heartbeats behind that door, huddled close. And a third creeping along the outside  of one wall of that same room. From the feeling of heaviness in the air around him, he was their leader.

A howl of pain split the air and a high pitched cackle reached David's ears. Paul was enjoying himself. But then he always did when it came to fighting werewolves. They were the reason he had turned feral there for a while. It had taken David bringing Marko into the fold to finally drag Paul back under control. The two had instantly bonded when they had met, and Marko, for all his vicious psychotic tendencies, had balanced Paul out. They had made a great team.

David turned his attention fully to the leader. It was apparent he was going to bust through the wall to get to the girls. That wasn't happening. David stalked the wolf. The leader turned to face the vampire coming at him.

He was a skinny blonde man who smelled faintly of grease. His brown eyes turned gold when he laid eyes on David, and he began shifting into his alternate form. A massive bipedal wolf with shaggy unkempt goldish brown fur. The wolf bared its fangs at David.

David knew he was in trouble, as the wolf man towered over him by a good foot and a half. He'd never seen one this big before. He sent out a mental call and received two responses. 

David engaged the behemoth knowing that as soon as the last of the lesser wolves was dead, backup was on the way.

The mutt came at him with claws, snarling and drooling. He caught one massive arm and threw it back, swiping it across the face with his own claws. Blood sprayed across the room.

The wolf's other arm knocked him back and he delivered a mid-air kick to its chest. It knocked the wolf back a few feet, but nowhere near where it should have with David's vampire strength behind it. 

He recovered and flung another kick to the wolf's face this time. It snapped at him, tearing into the flesh of his leg.

He pulled free and jumped into the air. He grabbed a broken piece of wood from the floor and slammed it into the mutt's side. It howled and bounded after him. Just before it caught him a blonde blur knocked it sideways over the railing and down the stairs.

***

Ronnie was doing everything in her power not to charge in blind and ignore everything David had told her. Her best friends were in there! This situation was something she wasn't mentally equipped to handle right now. She was digging her claws into the shingles of the roof she was perched on across the street. Another two story home that had a good view of the front and back of Ronnie's home. 

There was a lot of activity going on, and Ronnie wasn't sure how no one had woken up and heard the commotion and either come to investigate or called the police.

And then she remembered what David had said about casting a geas to hide. Maybe it wasn't just vampires that could do it. She would have to ask later. She refocused on the house. She caught glimpses of Paul and Dwayne fighting with the werewolves through the shattered windows. David had gone in on the opposite side of the house from Ronnie so she couldn't see him.

She watched carefully as the two she could see tore through opponent after opponent, blood spraying everywhere and body parts littering the floor.

Paul was absolutely manic about it, ripping limbs from one enemy only to shove them through others. It was a truly terrible sight to behold. And a magnificent one.

The last of the wolves fell and both boys turned and headed out of Ronnie's line of sight.

This worried her for a moment. And then a massive blonde body fell from the top floor landing followed by all three boys. The raven watched in fascination as they engaged as if they were one of one mind. Dwayne and David flanked the beast as Paul went in for the throat.

They made some good progress, but the huge wolf fought them off with no small amount of skill. But the boys were experienced with this sort of thing and kept up the attack, the leader and the second weaving in and around the enemy as the stoner did most of the direct damage.

Ronnie was wondering why it wasn't David taking the lead. Paul was the most laid back of the brothers. Now it was clear that he fit in just as well, with the underlying violence that didn't come out from under the drug addled cover until he was in the heat of battle.

He was doing some serious damage. The wolf was limping and holding a gash on its stomach that was steadily pouring blood. Dwayne and David had managed to hobble it some, but it was Paul literally tearing into the monster.

Just when it seemed they had the huge wolf cornered, it turned in her directon, no _looked right at her_ , and bolted. Rage clouded over her mind again. There was no way she was going to let this bastard go! She leapt from the rooftop and followed the beast as it limped out into a slightly wooded area. She almost lost it, but she kept on it until it slowed and finally stopped. The monster turned to her as she landed several yards away from it. She felt David's mind trying to call to her, panicked. She ignored him.

"You tried to kill my family." She said simply. The wolf stepped toward her and for a moment fear washed over her, drowning out the rage, but it didn't last. The wolf didn't attack. Instead it shrank in on itself, shifting back to it--his human form. The naked man who stood before her was familiar. She didn't immediately place him. And then he spoke and it all clicked.

"You chose those fucking parasites. You were supposed to be mine and you chose one of them instead!" He shouted. Anger had his pale face a mottled red.

"Eric?" She asked, incredulous.

"Oh, so you do remember me then. Good, that means you can scream my name and beg me for mercy while I tear you to pieces, you bloodsucking whore!" He lunged at her then, arms outstretched, claws just beginning to sprout from his fingertips.

And then his head was twisted sharply to the side and ripped clean off. Blood fountained into the air and his body dropped to the grass.

And there standing behind him was the diminutive form of her housemate. The tiny girl met her eye and brought a single bloody finger to her lips in the 'hush' sign.

"Maya?" Ronnie managed to ask before a wave of dizziness came over her and she passed out.

***

David flew as fast as the wind would carry him. He was following the call of Ronnie's blood to his own that occurred between mates. He was getting closer now. She had stopped.

David only hoped that was a good thing.

Dwayne had stayed behind at the house to clean up. Both the humans had been put to sleep, and the Indian was cleaning up the bloody mess. It wasn't as easy as a vampire kill cleanup. The blood didn't burn up in sunlight, so it was extremely complicated. They were probably going to have to torch the place. It wasn't something David was looking forward to telling his mate.

Paul was close behind David, still in the throes of his bloodlust and raring to go another round.

They burst through a copse of trees to a bizarre sight. The wolf's body lay crumpled on the ground, head nowhere in sight, and the girl they had been trying to save passed out completely on the ground, covered in blood that was clearly not her own, if the overwhelming dog smell said anything.

Paul dropped to the ground beside the body while David went to Ronnie. He scooped her up and cradled her to his chest, inspecting her for any wounds he may have missed. There were none.

' _David, this couldn't have been her. She's not strong enough to rip off its head like this._ ' Paul informed him of what he'd found.

'Whatever it was that did this is gone. All I smell is dog. Let's burn it and get out of here. We got shit to take care of.' David told his brother brusquely and tossed a lighter Paul's way. The blonde caught it with practiced ease and set about setting the body alight.

They were on their way back to the house when Paul started getting back to his usual self.

'I bet nobody else even realizes that she flew.' He said conversationally.

David almost dropped her as it sunk in what the stoner had said. She had, hadn't she? And without any trouble whatsoever.

She was going to be ecstatic when she woke up and figured that out. David swelled with pride.

When they touched down outside the house Dwayne was standing outside rigidly staring at a darkened house. There was a young woman who looked vaguely familiar.

"Hello boys. Good to finally meet my girl's mate and new brothers." The little Mexican girl said evenly, hands on her hips.

"Who are you?" David demanded immediately. He clenched Ronnie closer to himself.

"Oh don't worry, I have no intention of taking my chiquita from you. You are why she is even here. And as for me, its a lonqg story. One I don't have time to tell you in full, I'm afraid. Let's just say I'm an agent of fate, and you are my charges. All nine of you." She told the head vampire.

"Why should I take your word for it?" He snapped. He didn't like being manipulated.

"Watch your tone with me David, son of Maxamillion. I am older than you, and you will show me respect." Her pretty face shifted for a moment into something distinctly cat-like, spots appearing across her dark skin and then fading just as quickly, and her voice taking on a feline growl.

David took a step back.

"What are you?" He asked, fear shooting through him for the first time in decades that didn't pertain to the woman he currently cradled close.

"I just told you. Don't make me repeat myself. Anyway you don't need to worry about the humans, or the house. It's all taken care of. When she wakes up she will know nothing of me, only that you saved her and her friends from certain death. That is the way it needs to stay." With that the girl turned on her heel and walked away. Into the pristine house.

There were no signs at all of what had happened here.

David got the feeling that was his cue to go, and so he did. When the boys touched down outside the cave they were beginning to feel the call of sleep. Dawn was not far away.


	17. REM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist;  
> Unforgiven II - Metallica

Veronica was sitting quietly in her car seat, clutching her stuffed bear and looking out the window at the scenery passing by. In the front of the car her mother and father were engages in a heated argument. Veronica wasn't sure what it was about, only that it started over something Daddy had said to Mommy.

Daddy was driving. It had been sunny a second ago and now it was raining. And then Mommy wasn't in the car anymore and Daddy was crying. Veronica didn't understand why her mother had left. Just that Daddy said shed gone to a place called heaven. And that Mommy had loved Veronica very much.

And then Daddy was screaming again about it being all her fault that Mommy was dead. She was the reason Mommy couldn't stop being depressed. That she made Mommy sad. And then her cheek stung where Daddy had slapped her. It wasn't the first time. She almost expected it.

And then there was the screech, the car wobbled and slid from side to side, and then the jarring crunch that pinned Veronica to her seat. The blinding pain and the screams followed soon after.

Veronica woke up in the hospital, hooked in to dozens of tubes, but to her little mind it was hundreds, and she was scared. So she cried, even though Daddy always got mad when she cried.

But it wasn't Daddy that came to tell her to stop crying. It was an older woman in Minnie Mouse scrubs and light blonde hair that came and told Veronica that it was OK. That she was safe. That her Daddy had gone to heaven, just like her Mommy, bit that Veronica was still here. And that a nice family would come to take her home as soon as she was better.

But that family didn't show up. Instead a tired social worker came and delivered her and her meager belongings to a group home. That's where she first realized how easy it had been for her, even with Daddy being horrible at times. At least he fed her, bathed her, clothed her, and seemed to care about her most of the time.

And then her surroundings became a jumbled mix of forest and jungle, and she was running. She kept catching glimpses of a massive spotted cat, and she felt like she was being hunted. She ran and ran through the foliage, slapping aside leaves and branches from trees that could never share the same space.

The cat jumped out in front of her, a massive jaguar with it teeth bared and ears laid back. It's tail lashed the air like a whip. Primal fear took over and Ronnie fled in the other direction. But the cat cit her off. She felt like a cornered mouse as that huge jaguar circled her, scaring her into a frenzied panic.

 

Just as she was about to give up and let the cat have her, she burst through the treeline into open air. She plummeted straight down the side of the cliff she had not seen. Right when she spotted the ground coming up to greet her her eyes flew open to see David staring right at her, concern etched across his face.

***

Ronnie was tossing and turning. David watched her from the edge of the bed as she flipped about on the bed, mumbling incoherent things, interspersed with an outcry that only confused David. She must be dreaming about her past.

She snarled and fisted her hands in the sheets, and then relaxed and flipped over, almost peacefully still. And then she cried out and threw herself the other way.

Just as David was getting used to her antics she sat bolt upright and her eyes shot wide open. She was covered in sweat and blood, the latter from earlier that night.

She was silent for several long seconds and then she let out a piercing scream.

David was across the room and had her in his arms before he registered it. She clutched at his shirt, screaming and sobbing.

The door flew open and the other two boys were in the room suddenly as well. Paul crawled up on the bed and curled around Ronnie's left side, arm trailing around her waist beside David's. Dwayne made his way over to the other side and leant his strength by rubbing the part of Ronnie's back not covered by the other two.

It took David a long time of sitting there wrapped in the others to realize that Ronnie had sent out a mental call. One strong enough to rival his own commands.

If Ronnie had that kind of power over them then this added a whole new level of complications. Either she could tap in to his power as head vampire and command even him, or that she naturally had the power, and it made her both dangerous, and a powerful asset.

If all female vampires had this ability then David understood why Max had wanted Lucy so badly.

After what seemed like several hours the four separated.

"Ronnie, what happened? Are you hurt?" David asked. The raven shook her head.

"Dreams." She said. Her arms wrapped around herself tightly and she sank into herself.

"What kind of dreams you having to make you react like that?" Paul asked, concerned.

"Dreams about my childhood. My family." She said shortly, sadly. A touch of fear entered her voice.

"Maybe talking will help. We're your family now." Dwayne said. 

"Maybe. Maybe its time you know who I really am." She said quietly. A puzzled look graced all three boys features for a moment, and then she started talking.

"I was born in Santa Carla. My dad and his family lived here for years. Then when he met my mom and they got married, I was born. My mom, she had been struggling with depression her whole life. When I was two she killed herself. It drove my father a little crazy. He got abusive towards me. His family tried to do something about it, bit Grandma Lucy's health was getting bad. 

Then one night my Dad took me for a drive in the rain. He had been drinking, I think, and he drove us off a cliff into the ocean. He died, but I somehow made it out of the car and washed up on shore. I was three and a half. After that I saw Grandma Lucy once or twice, and I even stayed with uncle Sam for a few weeks after the accident, but he couldn't keep me. So I went to foster care." She finished her story sadly. All three boys had heard the names of her uncle and grandmother, but not her father. It had set off alarm bells in all three. If David weren't a vampire he would have been praying his hunch was wrong.

"Ronnie, I have to ask, what was the name you were born with?" David asked gingerly, almost afraid of the answer.

She looked confused for a second.

"Why does it matter?" She asked cautiously.

"Because I need to know." He told her. Something about the look on his face told her this was something that would change everything.

"David, I don't understand why it's so impor-"

"Just tell me!" He demanded, cutting her off. She was hurt, but she answered anyway.

"Emerson. I was born Veronica Emerson. My Father's name was Michael." She said finally.


	18. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Bullet Hole - Avenged Sevenfold

A fucking Emerson. She was a fucking Emerson. The whelp of the bastard who had nearly destroyed everything David had built, and caused the death of their brother. Revulsion curled through him. And then something else. Anger and shame.

She wasn't her father, or her uncle. She hadn't done anything at all to harm them. Or had she? Had the werewolves been her idea? A trap for them?

Or maybe she was exactly what she said. Otherwise why would she have even told them who her family was. She couldn't know what they had done to David and his pack thirty years ago. Otherwise she would be terrified of what they would do to her in retaliation.

And not only that, but she was a half vampire, by choice. And David's mate. And whatever her family had done in the past, and as forgiving as David never was, he couldn't deny how he felt about Ronnie, and he couldn't hold what her father had done against her when she didn't know, and didn't even know her own family. Fate had a funny way of kicking the blonde vampire in the ass, didn't it?

But there was one more question he had that had that might hurt more than it helped.

"Ronnie," he pulled her to him, trying hard not to let her feel him shaking. Adrenaline was pumping through him now. "Tell me about your mother?" His gentle tone belied his anxiety, boiling just under the surface. The woman before him didn't hesitate.

"I don't really remember much about her. My mother was Angela Brewer. I looked her up when I got old enough. She had family in San Francisco and Palo Alto, but I never got the courage to go see them. From the pictures I found, I don't look much like her. She was tall and pretty, with long blonde hair that was straight as a pin. All I really got from her was her eyes. I actually have a picture of her that I printed out." She told him.

A sigh of relief blew his worries away. So she wasn't Michael and Star's child. And Star hadn't stayed with Michael after her betrayal. David relaxed a little and started asking Ronnie other questions about her childhood. After a beat the other two boys recovered from their stony silence and began following suit.

After a few more tentative questions and Paul cracking a terrible joke and getting elbowed for his effort and nearly falling off the bed because Ronnie didn't know her newfound strength as well as she thought, which resulted in the blonde flailing and grabbing Dwayne on the way and the darker of the two managing to barely catch them both and then shove Paul the rest of the way off into the floor. Everyone, including Paul after he stopped pouting, erupted into laughter.

But David knew there was much more to discuss this night. Much heavier subjects. Ronnie needed to know what her father had done to David's pack. He cleared his throat and everyone grew silent, even Paul as he climbed back onto the bed to take up his previous perch once more.

"Ronnie, I think there's something you need to know. About us. And your family." He started, his usual calm was starting to falter at the prospect of the raven's possible reaction to what he had to tell her.

Ronnie's green eyes turned curious.

"You knew them?" She asked. David nodded.

"I think we need to start at the begging. I wasn't always the head vampire here. Once there was another. Our sire, Max. And back then we had another brother too. And a girl..." He started to explain. The others grew somber as David told Ronnie of Marko, and then Star and Maddie and Star's manipulation of Michael Emerson, the Frog brothers and her uncle, and the resulting disaster that nearly cost all of them their lives. For her part Ronnie listened closely, asking minor questions here or there. When David finished she was staring down into her lap at her hands.

"So, basically this Star person broke your heart, tore the pack apart, and she and my father and my uncle nearly killed all of you?" She asked warily. David didn't like the hint of sadness and fear in her voice.

"Yes." Dwayne answered. David reached down and took Ronnie's hand, pulling her forward forcefully when she resisted.

"Ronnie this all happened a long time ago. And it has nothing to do with you. With us." He assured her, fingers stroking the back of her hand.

"He killed your brother. And your sire. And he got away with it." She bit out. Anger had replaced her fear of rejection now.

"Well, killing Max actually did us a major favor. He was weak and stupid, and brought all of this on us with his obsession with finding a mate to be a 'mother' to us. He was starting to lose his mind and he was dragging us down with him. So I'm not really mad about that. In fact I'd say it almost made up for everything else. Except... Marko." David told her. The others made affirmative noises.

"But still. Your brother is dead because of him. And because of this Star girl." Ronnie seethed. "If I knew how to find her I'd track her down and kill her myself."

David almost laughed. His mate was more like him than he had believed.

"Actually, there might be." Came Paul's voice. All eyes snapped to him.

"What do you mean?" David demanded.

"Well, see I've been playing around on the internet, you know? And I think k maybe I can find her on there." He said quietly, almost shyly. It strick David that though Paul liked to get fucked up and acted the fool most of the time, that he was actually pretty damn smart. It was one of the reasons David had chosen him to join the pack in the first place.

"If you know her full name and her birth date then yeah, you could definitely find her. Maybe all you'd need is her full name." Ronnie told them.

"Yeah. I know her real name." David said. A glint of mischief appeared in his eyes. Wicked smiles passed from one face to another as the possibility for revenge sunk in. The hunt was on.

Star, wherever she was now, was not long for this world.


	19. Pursuit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stalker's Letter - Shaman's Harvest

Allison Warren had a very bad feeling for most of the evening.

She had spent most of the day working behind the register and reshelving returns. She had finished late and was heading out to her car that evening when she noticed the young woman that sat on the trunk of her Honda. Alice slowed her approach and studied the girl warily.

The young woman was pretty with a spill of dark hair down her back. She wore a dark grey band tee and jeans that had seen better days. She carried a backpack with her and she was currently smoking a cigarette as she seemed to be waiting for someone.

Alice called out to the girl who turned to face her, revealing a face that was achingly familiar.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?" Alice asked. The girl smiled wanly.

"Um, hi. I uh, was looking for someone that used to know my Dad. Are you Alice?" The girl asked.

"Um, yes I am. Is your Dad Michael Emerson?" Alice asked, heart hammering in her chest. Alice was already certain of the answer. This was Michael's daughter, no doubt about it.

"Yeah." The teen replied. Alice slid her key into the driver door and unlocked the car, but didn't open it just yet.

"Then yes it's me you're looking for. What can I do for you sweetheart?" Alice asked, her brown eyes locking onto the dark haired teen's.

"I was actually wondering if I could ask you a few things about my Dad. You know, since he died when I was little. I don't know much about him or any of the rest of my family. Would it be OK?" The girl asked. Alice had a feeling that was what it was. Her heart softened toward the young curious kid searching for some sense of who she was and where she came from. Alice could relate.

"Sure sweetheart, would you like to go somewhere to talk?" Alice offered.

"I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much." The dark haired teen gushed, jumping off the car and moving around to the passenger side to get in.

Alice finally opened her door and slid inside, putting her key into the ignition and buckling up. As she started the car she looked over at the excited young woman who hadn't taken her green eyes off of Alice.

"So, what would you like to know first?" Alice asked as she backed out the parking space and pulled out of the parking lot.

***

Ronnie was starting to get more and more impatient. David and the boys were waiting for just the right moment, and it was Ronnie's job to lure the woman currently under the impression that Ronnie was a sad teen looking for information about her deceased father.

As if the raven haired girl cared what her father had been like. He had nearly destroyed the only thing that had dragged her out of her loneliness. The man she was in love with now.

Allison Warren did not know that her death sat in the car beside her. That her past transgressions under a false name three decades past were finally calling the bill due.

Ronnie kept asking inane questions, and tried to keep the woman talking. It was working. Nothing seemed amiss to the older woman. Yet.

Ronnie kept her eyes on the road too, knowing that as soon as they found a spot, then she would call the boys to strike. The sun had finally set, and the half-vampire could sense her coven mates not far away now. They had planned this out well.

They came to a gas station along the stretch of road that had very few people around. The boys had already made sure of it. 

"Miss Alice? Do you think we can pull over here? I have to use the restroom." Ronnie told the other woman.

"Sure. I need to get gas anyways." The dark haired human said as she turned on her blinker and pulled into the parking lot. At the gas pump she shut off the car and Ronnie jumped from the vehicle and went into the well lit, but vacant building. Not a single soul around for miles.

***

Alice fished pumping gas and got back into her car to wait for the teenager.

A few long minutes later she was becoming impatient. She got out of her car and headed inside to see if the girl, Ronnie, was alright, or if she needed anything. Maybe her monthly had hit and she needed a pad or tampon or something.

The bell over the door jingled merrily as she stepped across the threshold. She made her way back toward the bathroom. 

"Ronnie? Are you OK? You were taking a while, I just wanted to check on you." Alice called.

"I'm fine." Ronnie's voice replied. From behind her. Alice turned, startled. Ronnie was standing in the aisle, arms crossed and an odd smile on her face. And then a man stepped from behind the wall and wrapped an arm around her. Alice was absolutely shocked. The long black duster, and a shock of peroxide blonde spikes. Icy blue eyes with cruelty glinting behind them. An all too familiar chuckle rang out as David laughed at the spike of fear that shot through the woman in front of him.

"No... It can't be you." Tears pricked the corners of her brown eyes and her body began to tremble.

"Long time no see, Star. How's tricks?" The vampire asked smirking.

Alice bolted to the side, only to come up short as a tall dark haired man stepped into view. Back the other way away from Dwayne into the only open aisle she ran. She nearly made it to the door, followed by laughter and malice. Just as she reached for the handle a blonde dropped into view.

"Hiya Star-baby. Didja miss me?" Paul cackled. Alice screamed, tears running freely down her face. She knew that there was no escape, and that she was trapped like a rat in a maze.

She turned slowly to face her tormentors.

"How are you alive David?" She asked with more bravado than she felt.

"That's a good question Star. Wanna tell her Babe?" The blonde turned to the girl at his side. The raven haired girl who bore a striking resemblance to Michael spoke.

"Daddy dearest and Uncle Sammy and his Toad pals, they didn't quite kill Davey here. Or Dwayne or Paul. Unfortunately they did succeed in killing Marko. Too bad, I think I would have really liked him. Anyway, then about ten years later along came me. When Mommy and Daddy left me all alone I managed to grow up all on my own and found David and the Boys. Now they are my family. More than Michael ever was." She said in a childish voice.

"Why are you here now? Why did you wait?" Alice asked.

"Well, you see we couldn't quite find you. Until Ronnie showed us how easy it is to find someone on the internet these days. So much easier than the phone book, don't you think sweetheart?" David looked down his nose at her.

"So what? Are you here to turn me again?" Alice's voice broke on the last word.

"No, no. I only offer eternal life once. You, my little Star, are going to die for your crime." He told her in no uncertain terms.

"For betrayal of coven, and causing harm to one or more coven members." Dwayne said.

"For causing the death of our brother." Paul spat at her.

"So what do you have to say Star?" David asked her.

Alice fell to her knees, knowing there was no escape.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted out. A normal life. I didn't want any of this." She was crying hard now. Her tears left a bitter taste on David's tongue.

"You knew the price for your freedom." David said, fangs descending and amber bleeding through blue. Then they struck. David, Dwayne and Paul moved as one. The woman on her knees didn't even have a chance to scream as three vampires fell on her at once.

Ronnie turned away and walked outside. Her gorge had risen at the sight, and her bloodlust. But it wasn't time yet. This was the Boys revenge for what had been done to them.

When it was over David stepped out the convenience store doors and lit up a cigarette. He came over to Ronnie and offered it to her. There was blood on his clothes and his face. From the sounds inside Dwayne and Paul were not done with Star's corpse.

"I know you thought you loved her once. I think maybe she loved you too. She was almost smiling there at the very end." Ronnie said quietly.

"Hm." Was the only reply she got from the stony blonde. The raven took the cigarette and took a long drag.

"But I'm glad David. I'm glad she's dead and that I get to keep you. You're mine and I don't want to think about any other woman's hands on you." Ronnie growled. She tossed the cigarette to the ground and stomped it before grabbing both sides of David's face and dragging him into a fierce kiss. Star's blood smeared over her lips, an explosion of copper and sweet-salty flavor that made her fangs drop. She didn't stop as their tongues fought for dominance.

David had been taken by surprise for once and Ronnie took full advantage, shoving her mate against the wall and shoving her tongue down his throat. Desire pooled in her groin and she felt him swelling against her belly. His hands were dragging at her clothes. She shoved at his duster until he let her divest him of it and then she shredded the front of his black T-shirt and let it fall to their feet. Then his leathers were unlaced and shoved down and her jeans dragged down her hips. Her shirt came off as well and then she was on him again.

She pushed him back and practically climbed him, wrapping her legs around his hips and sinking down onto his erection. She set the pace, riding him hard and fast, pleasure spiraling up and through them both. She didn't give him a second to slow down, she slammed herself onto him over and over, his hands clenched on her ass cheeks, but not supporting her. She did all the work herself. Still joined at the mouth, they both came hard, her first and then him immediately after.

They were panting and sweaty and a complete mess when they stumbled back inside to collect the other two. Paul looked askance at David's lack of a shirt but didn't say a word. All things considered, it was a small price to pay for the high they were riding. Instead he directed their interests toward something g much better.

"So who likes alcohol?" He asked jovially. David laughed and Ronny smiled as they set to work divesting the whole place of every bottle they could pack into the dozen or so 'eco-bags' that had been liberated from a stand by the door.

When the four vampires left the tiny gas station being they left a burning pile of rubble behind.


	20. Denouement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Astronomy - Metallica

Ronnie found herself becoming more and more apprehensive lately. It was getting harder to fight the hunger clawing at her belly around humans. She spent much of her time before her friend's birthday party at the sunken hotel with David. It was easier to handle her thirst when she was near him, feeding from him, and working out her aggression in a different way entirely.

Paul and Dwayne both ended up becoming scarce when she and David got a little too affectionate, knowing exactly what was coming next. Ronnie often laughed about that.

David seemed to be in a much better mood of late. Maybe it was the closure of the whole fiasco that had simultaneously robbed him of a brother and freed him from the grip of an imbecilic master with delusions of grandeur.

Maybe it was the fact that he now got laid on a regular basis. Maybe it didn't matter.

Ronnie started training with all three of the Boys, figuring out just how powerful she really was. She was fast, and cunning. And she made excellent bait.

It still bothered David how easily she had usurped his control, but she was his mate, and a bigger part of him was glad that she was strong enough to defend herself and her coven. She didn't want control of them, and her power over them never asserted itself unless she was under stress and wanted comfort from her family.

And a family they were. Dwayne and Paul became her brothers. Ronnie often got caught up in Paul's practical jokes, or was found in deep discussion with Dwayne over some book they had read. In fact, Dwayne's library had begun to grow recently.

There were a lot of questions that never did get answered. But none of the Lost Boys, or their Lost Girl really cared right now. They were all just happy that things seemed to be settling into routine. For now, anyway.

***

The young man paced quietly outside his sister's door. For days the creature entombed in the basement had been calling her, its hold over the witch becoming stronger by the hour. Luc had finally had to lock her into her own room and stand guard all night every night. 

During the day Lillith was lucid. She told her brother she feared the call. By her estimates it would be one more cycle before it was ready to awaken. And then they would meet.

Luc wasn't sure now if it was a good thing or a bad thing. But his sister was bound by blood to that thing now. It was far too late to reverse. So he did what he could and kept her from waking the beast too early. It wouldn't be long now. Even Luc was beginning to feel the tugging of the thing down there, buried in the very foundation of his childhood home. He would never cede to its call, but he could feel it nonetheless.

All he had to do was stay vigilant and keep his sister from awakening the thing for a few more weeks.

***

The golden-green eyes watched and waited. They time wasn't quite right yet. But it soon would be. 

A few more connections to forge before it would come to pass, but it was good work. Well worth the trouble it took. In the end it would be worth it, once the pieces all fell into place. And the end result would be so very satisfying.

The pawns never even realized that they were being set into place for a greater game than any the world had seen before. They never would, either, if played correctly.

And soon everything would be in place for the final preparations. And the beginning move was about to be played. 

The Queen was working hard, moving the pieces on the board into place. And then the game would commence!

Soon the entire west coast of America would be soaked in blood.

The rumbling growl echoed in the darkness. Almost as if a great beast were laughing.

Soon. Soon. Yessss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so initially I was going to have it end here. I even started working on CtWR, the sequel. I was satisfied where it left off.
> 
> That is, until I realized that there was a lot more story that was waiting to be written, while in the process of setting up the timeline for CtWR, and it's subsequent sequel. (Yes, there will be parts 3 and 4.)
> 
> Well, now you get to see where Ronnie and David's relationship goes from here, and her bond with the brothers, as well as some major development to the characters, and the story.
> 
> (I did kind of feel like Ronnie wasn't a complete character, with flaws and unique traits and ideals just yet. Now she will be.)
> 
> I hope everyone who read and enjoyed the first part will enjoy part 2 as well. Thank you all for the wonderful support. Especially CamaroLady and Jackie! You guys are awesome, and give me the motivation to keep this baby rolling. ~Mugen


	21. Revelry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> Feel So Numb - Rob Zombie

The morning dawned bright and beautiful. Ronnie sat on the edge of the cliffs, watching the sun climb over the horizon for the last time. She smiled at the warmth that now made her skin itch and hurt, as if it were already sunburned.

The light hurt her sensitive eyes. She wore sunglasses, a pair David had 'acquired' for her specifically for this day.

Later today Ronnie would be heading to the beach for what was supposed to be her friend Lea's 22nd birthday, and Ronnie's last hurrah as a mortal. Sort of.

After the party Ronnie and David had agreed. The raven was going to hunt tonight. Her first kill. Her Turn.

She was a bit apprehensive. Not that she didn't fully look forward to finally being a true vampire. She wasn't afraid to kill people to survive. They were killing more of each other than any vampire ever could.

And there were so many horrible people out there who deserved killing. It was a sorry state of affairs these days, humanity.

So that part gave her no pause. Losing her humanity? Not so much either. From what the others had told her it wasn't so much losing yourself, as waking up to realize there was more there than there used to be.

Vamps still got hungry, just for something other than food. Of course, they still ate, too. It helped some with the other cravings, up to a point. Which David had explained was why Ronnie had been doing so well with her thirst. That and feeding from David. Otherwise she would probably have been a feral, bloodthirsty mess.

But all said and done, she was still nervous. The nervous that strikes before a big event. Like prom, or graduation. Or your wedding.

It was those nerves, part excited and giddy, part fearful of embarrassing yourself, that twisted in her gut now.

She sat with her feet dangling over the cliff, twisting a lock of hair around her finger, looking for all the world like an innocent girl watching the sun rise slowly into the sky.

It was spectacular today, all bright pink-orange, blue, and purple. The shredded cotton of the clouds strewn across the canvas of the sky, absorbing the color at its edges. The waves below crashed and battered the rock, roaring deafeningly, and endless push-pull that soothed her.

Ronnie smiled to herself as the sky lightened, the pink and orange and purple fading to blue, and eventually the in between blue-gray that seemed perpetual here. Eventually the sea spray soaked through her jeans and light cotton tee. She finally stood, stretching out all her muscles, stiff from sitting in the same place for hours in the cold.

Even though it was California, it was bitter cold by the ocean. Especially early in the morning or late at night, with the ocean spray chillng the skin.

The dark haired beauty took a look around and stepped off the cliff, floating down to the looming entrance to the underground hotel.

She brushed aside the curtain and stepped I to the cool darkness. After standing there, likely looking foolish while she waited for her eyes to adjust, she made her way inside to the room she shared with David now.

It was still a bit of a surprise to find her things taking up space beside his. Their this gs commingling and creating a whole different atmosphere than either of them made separately.

David lay on his side, sprawled out on the huge bed, her black blanket barely covering his naked hips. His exposed chest and stomach gave her pause, but she shook it off. She had things to do today.

She dug through her clothes until she found a pair of jean shorts that were frayed at the front and bore a grinning skull on one back pocket, a black tank top with a Metallica logo, and a white see through button down over it. She slipped her boots back on and snagged her wallet, and David's keys, since he was letting her borrow his bike.

Her shades went back on and she threw her hair back into a high ponytail. She applied some dark eyeliner and some dark red eye shadow, and a touch of blood red lip color, picked up the red leather choker David had given her with the pretty leather rose on it and put it on. Her ears already sported her usual 16 and 12 gauge captive rings, so she slipped on a couple of braided black leather bracelets and turned to go. 

As she headed back out a hand snagged her from the bed and pulled her down. She squeaked as she landed on David's chest.

"Mmm. You're warm." He nuzzled her neck before letting her up.

"I shouldn't be. The spray soaked my clothes." She told him. His blue eyes cracked open and took in her appearance.

"You're not leaving." He tightened his hold and ground his hips into her leg. She let out a bark of laughter.

"David! Come on!" She made a show of trying to pull away. He pouted at her.

"Are you seriously going to pout because I'm going to help Gem set up Lea's party?" She asked. The only answer she got was David dragging her down for a kiss. It was hot, and hard, and left her breathless. And she had to clean lip gloss off of her face and reapply it before she could leave.

This time he let her go with only a few words as she breezed out the door, still laughing.

"Just be careful. I'll see you tonight." And he rolled over to go back to sleep.

***

Ronnie parked the bike at the edge of the boardwalkbeadnd dismounted. She had a few hours to kill before meeting up with her friends, so she wandered down the strand. She got more than a few curious looks, especially from the older couples, but she ignored it.

She made her way down toward the beach, slipping off her shoes and wandering down to the water. She started combing the beach for seashells, remembering that Lea loved them. 

Ronnie reminisced about the time she had gone to find Lea for dinner and run into over 2 dozen strands of beads and seashells of every kind in the doorway of the other girl's room.

There had also been several sets of wind chimes made out of seashells hung up in Lea's room, as well as out on her balcony.

Ronnie found a couple of large, pretty shells and several smaller shells she thought Lea would like. She made her way up off the beach, having spent a good amount of time looking for shells.

She headed toward the walk to meet up with her friends.

She spotted Gemma, dressed in a pretty pink and orange minidress, with her hair up as well, and a pair of silver sandals, and Lea dressed in a dark purple halter top and jean shorts with a pair of blue beaded flip flops and her hair styled in a braid hanging over one shoulder. They were sitting at a table on the patio of a diner.

Ronnie crept up and slid an arm around Lea, hugging her from behind.

"Hiya Ronnie!" Gemma chirped. Lea smiled over her shoulder at the darker girl.

"Yo! Happy Birthday Lea." She greeted.

"Thanks. So are you willing to let me in on this crazy scheme of Gemma's, or are you in on it too?" The blonde asked, quirking one pale brow at her friend.

"Nope, sorry. I'm her partner in crime on this one." Ronnie said, snagging Gemma's soda and taking a sip.

"Hey!" Gemma snatched it back, almost spilling it in the process. Ronnie stuck her tongue out at the other girl cockily.

"Oh well. Guess I'm going to have to endure for a while." Lea smiled at the other two's antics. Gemma was guarding her drink closely and Ronnie was pretending not to be trying to get at it.

"Yup. So have you eaten already? I'm starving!" Ronnie announced loudly.

"Nah, just got here a little bit ago. We got something to drink, but we were waiting for you." Lea swatted the sneaking hand reaching for her drink now that Gemma's was out of reach.

"Ow. Alright cool. Let's get some food." The dark haired girl said rubbing her abused hand, smiling all the while.

***

After their meal Gemma and Ronnie had handed over their presents. Lea opened Gemma's first, to reveal several volumes of the book series Lea was currently reading. The blonde hugged the smaller girl and thanked her repeatedly.

Ronnie didn't expect the crushing hug from Lea when she opened her unwrapped bag to reveal a new bikini in a multi blue and yellow wave pattern, a small pile of seashells, and a small hand made shark tooth necklace, made from one of the leopard shark teeth that Paul had dug out of Ronnie's now healed side. Not that Lea would ever know that little fact.

Ronnie smiled wistfully and hugged her friend back.

After that they headed for the boardwalk and the rides. They road the Giant Dipper, and several other rides, Lea dragging Ronnie and Gemma on the Teacups and the Octopus several times, laughing the whole time.

As the sun started setting they headed down to the beach to relax. They sat on the sand, a small bonfire built with driftwood and seagrass blazing between them. They watched the sun start sinking below the horizon.

Ronnie knew that David and the boys would be waking up soon. Her time was almost up. But it had been a good day. She had splurged on her friends, and they had ridden rides until they were dizzy and buzzed from the adrenaline rush.

The three girls sat and talked and picked at each other, throwing dry bits of grass and plastic bottles at each other as the sun set. They were all in a good mood. Ronnie got so caught up in the joking back and forth, laughing and playing in the sand that she didn't realize the sun had gone down almost an hour before

Then a sudden rush hit the darker haired girl. Her throat was dry, and she was so hungry all of a sudden. She had leaned over and sniffed the air beside Gemma before she realized what was going on. It was the thirst waking up. She hadn't fed from David in too long. She fought the feeling down until she could control it.

"Ronnie, you OK?" Lea asked, seeing Ronnie hunching in on herself.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just a little cold." She lied smoothly, drawing her jacket in around her. Lea threw some more driftwood on the fire. Ronnie thanked her and turned back to the conversation, fighting down the gnawing feeling in her belly.

"Hey, let's go swimming!" Gemma said suddenly.

"Gem, we don't have swimsuits." Ronnie told her.

"Lea does. You just gave it to her. And I have a couple in the car." The redhead said, getting up and dusting herself off.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to have to get David's bike back to him soon." Ronnie tried to make her excuses. The hunger was making it hard to think straight.

"No you don't. David caught a ride with one of the guys." David said as he stepped out of the shadows. All three girls jumped, Ronnie because she hadn't heard him even with her super hearing.

"Holy crap David! Don't sneak up on us like that!" Ronnie snapped and tossed a piece of dried grass at her mate. He frowned at her.

"Oh, so this is David. You're right. Way better than the other one. I dig the spikes." Gemma said, giving David the once over. She winked at Ronnie and turned to Lea, who was also looking at the spiky blond appraisingly.

"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up with you later." She told them.

"We'll be fine on our own. Go spend some time with your guy." Lea said, winking. Ronnie gratefully accepted the out. Gemma opened her mouth, no doubt to protest, but Lea beat her to the punch. The blonde hooked Gemma by the arm and dragged her off toward the boardwalk where Gemma's Subaru was parked.

"So, did you have fun?" David asked as soon as they were out of earshot. All at once the nervousness from earlier came back full force.

"Yeah I did. We rode a bunch of rides and stuff on the boardwalk. So where are the others?" Ronnie stepped toward David, smiling. She was glad to see him, nerves aside.

"Around. Waiting for you." He told her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The wave of dark hunger bore down on Ronnie then as she leaned into David, his scent rising up all around her, all leather and spiciness. It hit her in the gut and she almost doubled over.

David saw it and immediately drew back.

"How long have you been feeling it?" He demanded. Ronnie shrank away looking guiltily at the fire that flickered not far away.

"Not long. Right before you got here, actually." She admitted to him. He didn't look pleased. 

"You could have exposed yourself. I knew it was a bad idea to let you come." His words and his tone struck a nerve in her. So did his hands tightening on her biceps angrily.

"Let me? You didn't let me do anything David. I'm not yours to control." She snapped. No one could tell her what she could and couldn't do. She wasn't some weak willed female willing to let others control her life for her. 

"I'm your leader, your sire. I am the only one who can control you. And I should have forbidden you--!" 

"I don't fucking think so! You may have given me your blood and made me one of you, but you have no control over me David. If that's the way you think this is going to be then I'll walk away right now." She cut him off, voice dangerously low. She had drawn away from him and now stood defensively a few feet away. Her eyes flashed gold. 

The elder vampire realized his misstep. He knew better than to push this woman. She was just as strong willed as he, and would never allow herself to be subjected to anyone's control. That's partly why he had wanted her from the start. Strength and will were the mark of a good vampire.

David sighed, relenting. He knew this was a fight he couldn't win, couldn't afford to win. 

"I know. I'm concerned. You could have been exposed, and that would put us all in danger." _Put you in danger_ , he didn't say, but it hung in air between theme regardless.

Ronnie relaxed incrementally. She ran a hand through her bangs and shook her head.

"Fine. Whatever. I didn't. You're here. So let's just go, okay?" She moved to his side, hooking his arm. David almost held back, but followed in the end.


	22. Reticence

Nerves were getting to her. They had to be. She wasn't nervous, per say. But she knew this was a massive thing, giving up her humanity for something else. Something better, or something far worse, depending on who you asked.

She personally viewed it as something better. Immortality, flight, telepathy, amazing strength and dexterity, and being with her new brothers, the family she had never had, and David. Her mate.

Traded for a little humanity she wasn't even sure she had anymore. The only humans that mattered to her were Gemma and Lea. Maya was a neutral party. Anyone else, and she really couldn't care less. The world had kicked her enough for her not to give a shit.

The fact that she would have to drink blood didn't really bother her either. She already drank David's. And the way people on the boardwalk were starting to smell was almost as appetizing as the foods they were hawking.

As they passed a group of girls, all painted up in their whorish best, dressed to the nines in slutty clothes, Ronnie almost took back the last thought. The cloying perfume that lingered around the females turned her stomach.

David made a face beside her, wrinkling his nose. He reached into his coat and pulled out his pack of Marlboro's. He offered Ronnie one, which she took gratefully. When he offered her a light she inhaled deep. The smell of tobacco enveloped her, drowning out the cheap perfume, and even the scent of human blood. It dawned on Ronnie now, why David smoked at all.

She smirked and took another drag of her cigarette as they walked.

Dwayne and Paul came into view parked outside an old game shop. They both had a pretty girl beside them, chatting in their ears. Paul, dressed in his white skinny jeans and a torn tee, his hair pulled back into a ponytail under his skull and rose bandana. His coat was slung over the seat of his bike.

Dwayne was dressed in his leather pants and jacket, no shirt to speak of. The blonde he was chatting up had draped herself across his lap, micro mini skirt showing more than just leg. 

Ronnie moved towards David's bike instead.

"Hey sista. Sup?" Paul drawled. He was definitely high. Maybe later Ronnie would get him to smoke with her. 

Ronnie shook her head and smiled. Dwayne cuffed the blonde in the back of the head.

They stood there talking, sharing a little comradery. Ronnie fought off the urge to grab one of the girls and take a bite. She was starving.

David gave her a sidelong glance. She smiled a dark smile, her eyes flashing gold. She felt the switch coming on. Her vampire side was taking over. The scent of prey so close, she could literally taste their blood on the air.

The presence of her brothers and David were the only thing that held her back. Otherwise she likely would have dragged one of the women away somewhere and tore into her without a second thought.

Ronnie felt David's presence in her thoughts, reassuring and grounding. She latched onto that feeling, driving back the predatory urges for the time being. The time for that would come.

Ronnie refocused on the moment, engaging Paul in conversation, and gently ribbing Dwayne to goad him into speaking.

The hunger receded like the tide, allowing her to think and feel again.

***

The time was upon them. Ronnie broke off from the others with Dwayne, who had been teaching her how to track prey.

They took to the rooftops, searching the emptying streets below.

"See there." He pointed out a very intoxicated couple sucking each others faces heading toward the alley below their vantage point. 

The couple were oblivious to everything around them. When Ronnie looked back to Dwayne he had already allowed his other side to the surface. Ronnie heard Paul laughing a block away. David was nearby as well, she could feel him. His approval was palpable. Dwayne moved, dropping silently to the ground in the shadows. Ronnie followed. They approached from opposite sides.

Dwayne was almost on the pair, Ronnie a few feet behind when one of the two spun and flung out his arm. A glint of silver flashed through the air followed by Dwayne dropping to one knee, clutching his shoulder. The girl leveled a gun right at Ronnie's chest.

The scent of Dwayne's blood flooded the alley. Ronnie let out a primal scream and flung herself straight at the male, disregarding the girl and her gun.

Claws met flesh and blood arched across the alley. The man fell back from her, clutching his side. She caught a flash of blonde out of the corner of her eye. David had the female hunter against the wall, the gun clattered to the ground and her arm hung limp at her side, twisted at an awkward angle. She couldn't scream for David's clawed hand holding her off the ground by her throat.

"Hunters. What brings hunters to my city?" David demanded. The male that Ronnie had injured replied.

"A bunch of bodies washed up on the beach. A bunch of homeless people with their throats ripped out. Thought it was coming from Luna Bay, but the current wasn't right. Followed it here. Didn't know anymore bloodsuckers set up shop in Santa Carla. You Lost Boy groupies?" The man laughed bitterly. The surprise on David's face was damn near priceless.

Paul landed beside Dwayne right then. He checked his brother over, and helped the darker man stand up. A silver knife was lodged in his shoulder above his heart.

"What do you know about the Lost Boys?" David demanded. His claws dug I to the struggling woman's throat a little harder. The man barely spared his companion a glance. He was on one knee now, trying to stem the blood flowing down his side, soaking through his clothes.

Ronnie fought the urge to snatch him up and tear into his throat, finishing the job. If concern for her injured brother hadn't tempered her bloodlust, she wasn't sure she could have resisted.

"Those four vamp bikers from the eighties? Every hunter knows about them. The Frogs made sure of that." The man replied to the vampire leader. David looked pensive for a minute.

"David, he's not doing to good." Paul's worried voice interrupted the leaders thoughts. He turned to his brothers. Dwayne was kneeling on the ground, leaning heavily on Paul's side. Sweat bad broken out across his face and he was far paler than he should have been, even for a vampire. He clutched at the blade in his shoulder.

"Shit." David muttered. Ronnie was unsure of what to do next. David turned back to the woman who was suffocating in his hand. He hefted her into the air and dropped her in front of Dwayne. "Feed." He ordered.

Dwayne didn't hesitate, jerking up and burying his fangs in her neck before she could even attempt to escape. David turned to the man. The hunter had attempted to stagger to his feet and run, but he was too slow. A scream rent the air, mingled with David's roar a second before he tore out the hunter's throat.

Jealous anger coiled in Ronnie's stomach. She was still hungry! David felt her frustration though, dropping the dead human and turning to her. He tore aside his coat and shirt, offering her his own throat. She slid into his arms and lifted her fangs to his skin, reveling in the taste of him.

***

They made it back to the cave barely an hour before dawn. Dwayne was still weak, despite having fed from the both the woman and David in order to heal. Ronnie had pulled the silver blade from his shoulder, wrapping her hand with a Paul's bandana so the silver didn't burn her.

David was quiet, his mind closed off to Ronnie and the others. They all filed into the main room of the cave, David and Paul supporting their darker brother between them, Ronnie trailing behind, arms wrapped around herself. They settled him on one of the couches and David sank into his throne with a weary sigh. He finally spoke.

"Tonight was a disaster. Its made a few things clear. There are hunters out there that know about us, and we are in danger. From now on we can't just dump our meals in the ocean. We burn the bodies." He propped his chin on a fist and stared into the middle distance.

"So, what does that mean for me?" Ronnie spoke, brushing a strand of disheveled ebony hair over her her shoulder. She sat on the other couch across from Dwayne, knees drawn up to her chest.

"I don't exactly know yet. I think we need to delay you turning, at least until the heat is off and we can breath a little easier again. We need you to be able to move around in the daytime. To be our lookout in case someone shows up here." He told her solemnly. Ronnie nodded, resting her face on her knees.

"So you need me to be your guard dog during the day. OK." She looked up at her mate. He offered no placation, or emotion of any kind. His mind was too trouble led, murky. Ronnie tried to touch his thoughts, but he pulled away. Her heart fell, a vice seeming to tighten around it.

"So, what do we do next? Lay low for a while?" Paul asked. His eyes were on his injured packmate, completely serious for once. It was clear where his mind was now. On the brother they had already lost, and desperately hoping they didn't lose another. He honestly didn't know if whatever sanity he had would survive the loss of another member of his family.

"For now, yes. We'll be more careful. Burn all our kills, and keep a low profile, at least for a few months until we're sure no one else is going to come for us." David confirmed. Ronnie looked over to her usually mischievous brother, so sedate and serious. So unlike himself.

"I'll keep my ears open and start keeping watch. They won't surprise us if they come." She stated, determined.

"Good. And for the time being we'll sleep together, in the sanctum." David informed his pack. Paul looked up to his leader.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Even Dwayne, who had been dozing, looked up at that. Ronnie's eyebrows furrowed. She was confused.

"Yes. I'm sure. It's the most secure area. And it can't be accessed by anyone that can't fly." David turned and looked up to a dark space near the roof of the cave. A place Ronnie hadn't ever realized was actually the mouth of a passage, too high for a human to reach.

"Sanctum?" Ronnie asked quietly.

"It is where we go to ground to slumber. Where we heal from grievous wounds. Where we mourn for those lost." It was Dwayne who spoke. 

"It is where the connection to the earth is strongest. It gives us power." David added. Paul was staring down at the floor for a long time before he spoke. When he did his voice was full of emotion.

"It's where we lay our dead to rest. Where we buried Marko." The blonde's eyes glittered with unshed tears. In that moment Ronnie felt the echoing heart rending sorrow in her whole pack. Her heart broke for them then.

She cried.


	23. Safe

Ronnie woke, the sound of footsteps in the cave echoing in her ears. This was the third time since the attack that hunters had come.

Dwayne had spent almost two full weeks buried in the earth in the sanctum. When he emerged he was completely healed. Ronnie had been impressed.

They had blocked off the entrance to the rooms beyond the lobby, storing everything they could in the bidden rooms so that the cave looked as deserted as they could make it. They would have placed a geas on the cave again, but it wouldn't fool hunters, only alert then that someone was hiding here.

So they his and waited. Ronnie had suggested they find another cave, out on an island for a little while, but none of them wanted to leave their home. And they hadn't had any luck when they did look.

They had found a good sized cavern farther up the coast that was large enough to hold their bikes and a few other things like supplies. But it wasn't big enough to live in.

Now they flew everywhere, and made sure to be careful that they didn't attract too much attention.

Four people on the busy boardwalk, minding their own business didn't set off any alarms. And the boys started flying the distance to towns a few miles up the coast to hunt at least two or three times a week.

Pretty soon the heat began to die down, and the hunters came less and less.

She made her way along the tunnel until she could look out into the lobby unobserved.

There were two men there, rifling through the facade of dereliction they had put in place.

"Nothing here, man. Just like I told you." One of them told the other.

"I just wanted to look. They said they were gone, but something else coulda taken up residence. How else you explain the spike in missing persons?"

"I don't know man maybe its the wolves? You know they've been getting bolder ever since that thing over in Sacramento." The first said to his friend.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's go, I guess." The second man turned to go. The first stayed a few moments longer, looking around. As soon as the other hunter was out of sight his eyes snapped right to where she was. His eyes bled from a mute brown to bright green. He winked and turned to go.

Ronnie was stunned. She felt like she had seen those eyes before, though she couldn't remember where. Either way, the man seemed to be protecting them, so she decided she'd worry about it later. She made her way back down the tunnel into the sanctum. She snuggled in beside David once more, the belief that they were safe now firm in her mind.

Soon things would be back to normal, and they could rebuild their home without fear of being hunted. It was with these thoughts that Ronnie drifted back into sleep, never questioning why she felt so safe.

***

The time was coming fast. Lilith could feel it quickening in her blood. The moon was calling her, the night beckoning to her like a lover.

Luc was there beside her, his support was invaluable. Things were changing fast. Soon it would be time to finish what they had started, and restore the balance they had been tasked with.

Lilith knew her role. Knew it was all on her to finish this. And her reward was worth everything. Even her own life.

Soon, she recited in her mind each night as she watched the phases of the moon, felt the call stronger each time, and felt the power inside her mounting like a tidal wave.

Soon.

***

The blonde frowned in disappointment. 

The hunters he had hired had failed, ending up dead instead. The second group had found nothing, even though he had handed David and his stupid brothers over on a sliver platter. They were even down one full vampire, the little blonde having been killed by those idiot Frog brothers back in 1987. 

Instead they had a little halfling girl around now. One Dav8d seemed enamored with, if the way they acted on the boardwalk was any indications. It was enough to make the tall hazel-eyed blonde gag. Oh well, he had a plan on how to take his half brother out. It would just take a little longer than he had anticipated. 

The hazel eyed man turned to watch the blond haired woman currently out on the waves. Her blonde hair flashed in the moonlight as she executed a sharp turn with her surfboard. The blonde man smirked and took off into the air. He had plans for that one, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but it is the final chapter of part 1. Part 2 is now my main priority, and it will have new chapters soon.  
> I have everything for parts 2 and 3 hammered out, so I will work my way through the next part fairly soon and get around to completing this baby soon.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read this, and given me such lovely comments and support. I couldn't have done it without you all!


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